Guardians of Jasper: By Bastard of North and The FalconWolf
by The FalconWolf
Summary: Young Alfa, adopted son of Winston and Eve, was a shy pup who never liked to be the centre of attention. However, when he discovers he is more then just a pup, and what many dream of, he runs away into the human world. Two years later, and with his new friends, he must return to the United Pack in order to save them. But will they understand he's more then the pup they once knew?
1. Chapter 1

**Well guy's this is the story mentioned and I am supposedly the other half that writes this :D I hope you liked this and now, since you are here to see, I wanna thank you TheFalconWolf for doing this with me ^_^We are actually having small bet along the story but I won't say what it is ;D And now all hands up if you're against bullying!**

**Bastard From North**

* * *

_My hand is well and truly in the air! Guess what? Fanfiction's craziest author and most supernatural obsessed author have got together and have created a story! While I've been doing my Starnik Series, I've been privileged to be able to work with the great and hilarious author that is now my partner in this new story of ours. We worked hard on this, it's not yet finished but we'll do our best. You should have had front row seats about who got to publish this, the argument was massive! I lost... Anyway, we do hope you all will enjoy this. Because we did while typing it. Laters! :P_

_The FalconWolf_


	2. Chapter 1 The Guardians

Chapter 1: The Guardians

Witches, werewolves, demons, monsters, they've been called many nasty things over the years. But not all the stories are bad. They've been called angels, protectors, even guides, but now, they're known as the guardians. The guardians were a pack in the old days, well, when I say olden days, I mean they were a pack that existed before what the humans call Christ, so thousands of years ago. They were an almighty pack, the strongest and most powerful, yet, also the most generous, inspiring and kind that had ever existence. You could literally say there was never a pack like them, and never had been ever since. In the time when they flourished, they were renown by our kind for being different; being one of them or their descendent was a great honour. But why were they known so well? Why were they so different?

It was said that they were always under the watchful eye of someone, someone so powerful that changed their lives one day. It was two thousand years ago that the gods saw this pack and smiled upon their generosity, but frowned at their misfortune. Humans invaded their territory, hunted them for sport and what they call money, built upon their homes and wore them as furs for their own furless bodies. Yet although this pack were losing everything, they never turned down someone outside their pack or turned them away, even if everything was going wrong for them and they lost their friends, family and even pups. The gods lowered their hands down to them and gave all that was left of the pack the ability to reshape their future and take back what was once theirs. But for that to happen, they needed to become human. The gods not only gave them the ability to reshape their future, but to reshape themselves. It took a while to understand why, but soon they understood why it had happened. They all experienced similar symptoms, from elders to middle aged wolves, and even the young pups. A burning sensation below their left eye, their insides freezing and contorting, their bones breaking and fixing, all this happening in one moment and whenever they did one thing, and it all happened as they did one thing, stepping into human territory. But also, before they changed. It's said that this pack was given the ability to change into a human upon stepping into human territory, the human drive now inside them compelling them to change if they do, even the pups changed into human children. Like I said, it took a while, but they soon started to see that they could use this as the gods wanted them too.

They used this gift to step inside human territory, their first change being excruciatingly painful, but that lasted mere minutes and was worth it for their assault. After many years, they fought and took back the territory the humans stole from them, finding that they started to change back each time they take more territory and it expands. They may have shown their bloodthirsty sides in the battles and countless wars that ensued with them and the humans, but they always shared what territory they reclaimed with other packs of the area, giving them a home. A few centuries went by, and as they did the more territory was reclaimed and the world came to know their story and gave them the name Guardians, because they were the guardians of wolves, their protectors, so it was kind of reasonable to call them that. Each guardian was born with a different marking under their left eye, even the next generation of guardian pups had ones, never had there been one with the same. They continued to change whenever they stepped paw into human territory, and never again did they feel the pain of changing after their first time. They were known globally as the pack of eternity, because they could never be destroyed or forgotten.

But clouds started to stir over their territories, the humans were beginning to make their move once more. They had to remember, this pack was still wolves, and they would remain that way if they took control. They launched an attack on this unstoppable pack a the dead of night, and with a war cry burst out of the trees and slaughtered them while they were powerless. Taking anyone they saw, mothers, father, pups, leaders, anything they saw move had an arrow through them or a sword swiped at them, either way, it's said there were no survivors. It was said some got away, either way, and according history; a pack of fifty was reduced to zero in only a few minutes. But rumours say there were survivors, mothers ran away with pups while the fathers fought and never returned.

Over the years, legends, myths and creatures were recalled throughout history in the human world, but really, I think they were based on the guardians. In other countries, they say there was a god with a wolf's head. In the middle ages, they were known as witches. Some accusations were that humans were seen transforming into wolves or monsters and either killed on the spot or murdered in witch trials. Most weren't true, but some weren't. A few centuries ago it was werewolves, and to this day monsters. Stories of wolf monsters, humans that turn into monsters still exist to this day, so who's to say that there was survivors of the Guardian pack, that their descendents live among us in the human and wolf world. There is no evidence to support this, there's nothing to say that there is living descendents of this pack, and it's a shame that it's all stack in favour of the story that they were all destroyed on that fatal night. Had they remained today, the world might not be so different, and wolf kind might not be hunted as they were all those years ago. Maybe had things been different, thing between the two species might be better. No wolf or human to this day has seen anyone with one of those markings, and as the pack back then grew with new pups, each one had a new mark, never the same as anyone else before them.

But what does that matter now, they are gone and never coming back. But there is another part of the story, and I'm not entirely correct. In the version that says there were survivors all those years ago, it also says that they will return. A second coming of Guardians to protect all of wolf kind from the humans in the soon to be future. And in one particular pack in Jasper, Canada, it's going to start right there.

These days, nothing interesting ever happens. Humans tend to keep their distances away from wolves and Wolves keep far away from Humans. Nothing ever happens, not even in the secluded forests and fields such as Jasper Park. A wild life park to be precise, filled with creatures, predators and prey. Wolves are the main purpose of the area, and although many packs live in this area, one harbours a very special pup. Within a Valley of Jasper Park, is this pack, and in this pack's territory there is a den, and out of the dozens of dens there is the pup I want to talk about.

Alfa, a young male wolf pup, beyond his first year of life and closing in on his first moon of that year. He was yet to reach his full size, at this point he was a young, ambitious wolf that still had a lack of responsibility and wanted to have fun. But like his name, he was an Alpha. It made him laugh the more he thought about it, Alfa the Alpha. He was a natural, as everyone told him, so he was to start Alpha school when spring comes around, which was very soon! However, there is a sad part to his past. He was found in the borders of this territory, belonging to the fierce Western Pack by no-one else but the pack leaders. He was but a new-born pup, couldn't have been anything more then a few days old. They took him in, raised him as their own, along with their two daughters to be a good wolf and have the most normal life as a wolf could have. They saw his potential as an Alpha and possible future pack leader as he grew. But his past is what caused his behaviour. He was shy; as ambitious he may have been due to his young age, he was only like that around the ones he knew and were friends with. His ice blue eyes bore that of a shy wolf.

But now he was grown up, more or less, he had to prepare for meeting new wolves at Alpha School. He started to stir as the sun walked across the den and into his eyes, causing him to eventually blink his eyes and roll over to yawn. His eyes, still half closed, lazily managed to look up and out towards the den entrance. It seemed to be a late start to the day for him, but oh well, better late then never. He shook out his black pelt, picking out small pebbles and dirt from his fur before trotting outside, eager to see if something had already started and he missed it. His fur, it was a funny kind. His body was all black, but his paws, they were tipped with white as were the outline of his ears. So he was terrible at hide and seek in the dark, but not as bad as his sister Lily who stood out like a firefly. There were a couple of clouds in the sky, blocking out the sun but still let plenty of warm light through them and lighting the sky a shade of blue and orange.

He parted his jaws slightly and scented the air; nothing of interest had changed since last time, last time being last night. He sat and sighed on the edge of a rise, a small cliff of about two wolf lengths tall, from nose to tail tip. Taking in the morning, it wasn't long before another wolf stepped around to his side, this one a tanned colour with a shade of dirty white underneath. His adoptive mother, Eve. She still stood and sat taller then him, but they both knew it was only a matter of time. "Morning mom." He greeted with a smile.

"Good morning Alfa." She replied sweetly. "Do you have practice duties today?"

"Nope, my last was yesterday, now all I need is to go to Alpha School." He grinned back as he looked back across the vast Valley plan, a look in his eye which Eve noticed and had seen all too many times before.

"He's in the den area." She giggled. "You'll be in time if you hurry."

"Thanks mom!" He exclaimed as he wasted not another minute and sprinted off. The den area, kind of a pups play area where parents would come with their pups and let them play with others while the parents have a catch up. A kind of play group. In this, he found what he was told. Winston lay in a corner by some thick berry bushes, around twelve pups pouncing and galloping around him, pleading for the one thing that brought Alfa here. His shy nature started to kick in as he neared, he just wanted to get in and listen before anyone stopped him to talk. The other young pups yipped and whined that he tells a story, and sooner he had to give in. This senior wolf was known for his great stories of famous wolves.

"Ok pups, just calm down now." He chuckled at their working cute efforts. Not wanting to wait another second, they began to settle. "Now what would you like to hear today?" Instantly, he was hit with one answer, one it seems all the pups wanted to hear, and one Alfa had heard many times from his father figure, but also one he never grew old of.

"The Guardians!" They all yelled and yipped with tails wagging furiously. There wasn't much room around him; it was all taken by the playful pups. So Alfa found a comfortable spot under a tree that cast a dark shadow over him, concealing much of his body and making it hard to see him with his black pelt. Winston didn't notice him, he was far too preoccupied. There were so many stories Winston had heard of the Guardians over the years and throughout his own pup-hood from his father and his father before him as well as friends of the family and their parents. One however, stood out more then the other, one he enjoyed more then others.

"Ok, ok, settle down now." He chuckled and insisted they do again. "Here's one I don't think I've told you. This story is about one of the Guardians, in fact, the last of the Guardians, the last Alpha leader of the pack." Instantly, the pups all fell into a deep silence, and as that happened Alfa rested his head on his paws and closed his eyes to imagine it better. "In the days of the Guardians, before the time out pack was even a part of Jasper, a young, whipper-snapper of a wolf ruled over the Guardians, himself being one. His name was Tundran, in battle however, he was known as the White Shadow due to his pure white fur and his silent attacks. As young as he maybe, he was one of the greatest leaders the pack had ever had. He had fought wars, going to the frontline himself to fight; the humans couldn't match the likes of him. He reclaimed lost land back from the humans with their ability to change into a human; his birthmark underneath his right eye went down as a symbol of terror in many human societies across the country. In fact, that was the only thing about him that wasn't white, the black strike underneath his eye with the two dots above it. One night however, one dreadful night, the humans launched an attack on the pack, not giving them time to reach the human territories to change. They were powerless as the humans flooded through their territory in their swarm of hundreds, beginning their massacre of the pack. The White Shadow had to watch his family murdered before him, he couldn't do anything to stop it, and in his pure soul that was the only stain that marked him. After that day, their numbers were dwindling, dissipating from over one hundred to only twenty in but a few hours, and most of them being only pups. He watched the pups cry as their own families were gone, that day, he swore that he'd keep the remainder of the pack safe. He pleaded the gods spare the pups in return for his life. He lost his family he couldn't lose his pack." The pups gasped at the story, it was getting really good.

"But no-one really thought of his promise, it would just be another among others he had made to his pack. The young wolf maybe a leader, but the experience behind him lagged. Soon after his pack relocated, the protectors now needing protecting, the reminder of his pack had forgotten his speech and promise, but he never forgot, he stood by it. As time passed and after the leftovers of the pack had found a new home, he started to train and hone his leadership skills, he maybe a fighter, and a brilliant one at that, but he needed to learn how to lead more then anything. He was two and a half when he became leader of the Guardian Pack after his father past away, and he was respected by his skills, both physically and mentally. He had the fighting skills of a rookie Alpha, but the wisdom of a senior wolf." Alfa was getting into this; the pictures on the back of his eyelids were so vivid.

"But everyone knows what happened to them, tat fateful night came sooner then they hoped and the humans attacked for the final time. They were vastly outnumbered, they couldn't run and they were too weak and little to fight. Even in the face of death, Tundran, the White Shadow and great leader of the pack, was going to fulfil his promise. He turned to his pack as the humans ran across the fields towards them, their backs against the face of a mountain. He asked not for their help in fighting, but to save themselves and run, to make sure the pack of the Guardians and their stories live on, to see out that they're legend be carried on. But he wasn't the only who fought, the pack fought by their leader, never wanting to live another day without the wisdom of this great leader. He howled a war cry, and met head on with the humans. Both leader and his pack were exterminated that day, but it is said he was the last to fall. With a human stick driven through his shoulder and another through his leg, he continued to fight until his last breath. That the howl that echoed on that night was the howl heard across the country, belonged to the great White Shadow. But still, it's said not everyone died that day, the story says that the White Shadow gave the pups a chance to escape, and it's believed that they lived on, having pups of their own and continuing the Guardian bloodline. Who's to say pups that you're not a Guardian?" Winston grinned as he finished his story. Instantly, the pups were staring at the senior, gasping and sighing "wow". "And that pups, is the story of White Shadow. Now go on, back to your parents." As the pups heard the words, they ran away in groups to find their parents around the den area, all shouting to one another how they were a Guardian and wanted to be the White Shadow. He was happy to have sparked their imagination. He remembers back to the times he thought the same thing, playing games with other pups his age and pretending to be a Guardian and changing into a human. But he knew just as well as the next wolf that they were a story, a legend, a myth even. A simply pup's bedtime story, if they were real they became extinct a long time ago.

But then he noticed the tree, more so, the white dots belonging to a pair of white paws hidden in the shadows. Winston admired his adoptive son, even at times wishing he really was. He was certainly an odd pup; he loved nothing more then to listen to his stories, mostly lying in the same way and with his eyes closed, like they still were. "So after one thousand times I've told you that story, you're still there to hear it." He chuckled from his lying position. Still with his eyes closed, but now his tail beginning to wag gently.

"I like the story dad, or legend, whatever it is. Its sounds cool that there were wolves out there like them. It must be great to be brave and strong." He replied and opening his eyes after.

"Yeah, they were brave weren't they? How much have you learnt of them now?"

"As much as you've told me in the stories."

"Well that's not good; you're spending too much time in dream land when you could be having more in this one." He chuckled. "Now go on, go find your sister or something."

"Ok…" He whined with a smile, he really wasn't too bothered about going. "See you later then."

Still, he maybe young and shy, but he liked to explore. Walking around the dense forests of his pack's territory, he'd find many interesting things to keep him occupied. But this time he didn't, he'd seen this area before; there wasn't anything enjoyable about it. Until a log came suddenly flying over his head, giving him barely enough time to duck beneath it. He covered his head with his paws and fell to the floor; he was so close to it he could even feel the air pull it created. The log crashed into a nearby tree with a loud bang. His heart pounded inside his chest as he tried to understand what on earth just happened. "Woah, did I hit anyone?" Alfa knew that voice all too well. "Sorry Alfa." Humphrey giggled as he jumped down from a large bolder acting as a ramp. "I fell off back there and couldn't control it." Humphrey was on of Alfa's only friends, and a good friend at that.

"It's ok, if you were trying to hit me you're going to have to do better then that. You can't get rid of me that easily." He smiled as he brushed off the dirt from his fur.

"Ahh damn, so close too." Humphrey chuckled. "I'll have to try harder next ti…" He never got a chance to finish before Kate flew in out of no-where, putting her Alpha skills to good practice before Alpha School and Stalking before tackling Humphrey as if he was a caribou. She stood on his side and held her head high. Humphrey had been trying to find a way around this, too frequently he was being taken down by her and he'd run out of ideas to try and stop her. She liked to mess around with him; they were the best of friends. He vowed to himself to be able to hear her before she jumped at him when she came back from Alpha school.

"Got'cha again Humph." She laughed.

"I swear Eve, I didn't touch Kate and I didn't mean to nearly kill Alfa!" He cried quickly with closed eyes. This was a frequent worry for him, thinking it was Eve who was coming for him.

Both her and Winston could see something developing between Kate and Humphrey; they saw that if they didn't take measures then they'd grow feelings for one another before falling in love. So Eve had already made it clear to him that Alpha's and Omega's couldn't mix, he'd have to find another girl.

"Humphrey…" Kate giggled with Alfa laughing with her. "It's me!"

"So I get to live?" He asked and looking up at her, relieved it was her.

"For now." She replied and stepping off him. "You've so got to get better at hearing. So what have you guys been doing?"

"Well's he's tried to kill me already. Again!" Alfa said pointing to the other male.

"Let me guess, he left out the log board again and nearly made you human road kill?"

"Ok, so there's a few things I still need to work out. So guys and I are thinking we need more weight." Humphrey said in his defence. "And it was an accident."

"So what are you doing out here? Practicing for Alpha school?"

"Mom let me sleep in, after that I went to listen to dad telling stories before I came out here."

"Let me guess, the White Shadow story?" Humphrey guessed. The answer was painted all over Alfa's face. "Aren't you bored of that one yet?"

"Nope, I love those stories. Don't you think it's amazing, a pack like that?" Kate and Humphrey weren't one for those stories, they knew it was nothing but, so they never dwelled on it for long.

"So Humphrey, what are you doing later?" Kate asked.

"Probably nothing. Going home and sleeping." He shrugged.

"I thought you'd be going to the moonlight howl."

"Me…going to the moonlight howl? Please, like I'd want a girlfriend. I prefer the single guy lifestyle." He scoffed. Humphrey going to the moonlight howl, it was the most ridiculous things anyone had ever said.

"Neither was I. We could go and laugh at wolves whose howl sounds really bad." She giggled.

"That could be fun!" Humphrey smiled; it seems his evening won't be as boring as he thought. "Are you coming Alfa?"

"I don't know, maybe, if I don't then I'll meet you there." He replied.

"Great, well come on Humphrey, let's go find a spot to spy from." She insisted and dragging him with her. "See you later on bro!"

"If I didn't know, I'd think you were an Omega." He chuckled.

"Ok, bye." He said to himself, they were long gone already. He needed time to think. There'd be a lot of wolves at the howl tonight, a kind of things he didn't like. Maybe he'd pass for tonight, may be he'd go next time. All there was left to do was walk home, pretty much back the way he came and the opposite direction from Kate and Humphrey. Alfa began to see why his mother and father were getting worried about the two getting so close.

On his way back though, he passed many wolves of the pack, he never spoke to them though, three of which he saw were some of Humphrey's friends, Salty, Shaky and Mooch. Three more he never really spoke to, he seriously had to get over this extreme shyness of his before Alpha school. They seemed to be arguing, he heard the names Janice and sweets over and over again. He knew them to be the girls that ate nothing but berries and hung around with squirrels all day, the vegetarians. It made him shiver at the thought, it just wasn't natural. He had to walk back through the den area, finding Winston no longer there, most likely off doing leader duties and such. Pups were growing tired, yawning and growing temperamental as sleep grew over them. All that running around all day, it can be very tiring, as he knew and could remember that running can be tiring. This moonlight howl was something Winston tried to encourage him to at least go and watch. He maybe young for a date, but it would be for meeting different wolves and getting over this shyness of his.

Before he even knew it, he was walking up the rise and into the den of his family's. "Alfa are you ok?" Eve asked, still sitting on the rise where they were speaking this morning. He passed her and didn't even notice.

"Oh, sorry, I was lost in thought." He replied a little jumpy. He really needed to deal with this.

"Have you seen Kate? I'm getting more worried about her getting close to that Omega." She asked and looking back over the Valley.

"They've gone to find a spot to spy on bad howlers tonight." She only sighed, this was getting dangerous. "They're both fine by the way."

"Alright, thank you honey." She smiled, but still with a look of seriousness on her face.

"What about you?" She asked as he tried to get away and walk into the den.

"What about me?" He asked back.

"Are you going? Do you have a girl to howl with?"

"I don't want to go." He replied. "It's not my kind of thing." Another bad subject he wasn't good around or talking to. Girls. Kate and Lily were the only ones he could talk to.

"You know one day your father and I want to see you howling with someone, right?" She giggled; she knew too how bad he was around girls. He'd never be able to talk straight and he tended to mumble his words.

"Whatever." He said shaking his head. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Just don't wake your sister." She replied as he walked inside, seeing Lily curled up in her normal spot in the corner. So he walked to his side and curled up to himself, tucking his tail over his nose with a content sigh as he closed his eyes. It would be way easier for him and everyone else if he just skipped this moonlight howl, it would be far less awkward.

**Ta da, i hope you guys like the start. Please leave a review and remember, don't give me all the credit. As a heads up, this story won't be updated as fast as my other stories, mainly because there aren't many chapter yet and because i'm still working on my Starnik Series, which Bastard from North understands and wants me to finish first before we concentrate on this. Anyway, until next time! :P**

**The FalconWolf and Bastard of North. **


	3. Chapter 2 An Un-forgetful Night

Chapter 2: An Un-forgetful Night

Opening his eyes, again, Alfa came to see night was already closing in, a perfect, beautiful, orange sky skinning outside and over his home. In his younger youth and shortly after he learned of his adoption, he used to wonder if his real parents lived under the same sky or lived in a far away place and couldn't see it. But he didn't care for them no longer, Eve and Winston were his parents now; they deserved to be called his parents, not a couple of wolves that would leave a freshly born pup on the outskirts of the territory to die. It was luck that Winston and Eve found him, so he couldn't wish for better parents, whether they genuinely were his or not. But anyway, the view was perfect, a wonderful night sky he would enjoy looking up at in a moment.

First, he rolled back onto his front, lifting his rear into the air and reaching out his front paws out and groaning before letting out a high pitched yawn. A girl giggled just to his left, and as he stretched he gazed over to see Lily wit her tail over her head and playing with it. Blowing it and tickling the end of her own nose. Man, her tail was abnormally long, as was her pure white fur. Was she adopted too or something? He'd usually wake up to her doing something goofy. Omegas, they're always being so goofy. Hopefully Alpha school would help him toughen up and be able to talk to girls or come out of his shyness. What kind of Alpha can't talk to girls? He'll admit, he wasn't the bravest, or the strongest, but Winston always told him he was the instincts of one, so he was to go to Alpha school with Kate this season and the other potential future Alphas.

He dropped his back end again and looked around his home. It was just Lily this afternoon, nobody else. "Finally, you're awake!" Lily exclaimed. "I was worried I might chew my tail off in boredom soon."

"Then why didn't you wake me up?" He asked while she flicked her tail back behind "Mom said no because you were going to have a busy night tonight and that you'd need all the sleep." He tilted his head.

"I'm not doing anything, what's going on tonight?"

"The moonlight howl remember!" She answered obviously. "I didn't know you had a date?" She added with a playful wink. He shook his head and sighed.

"I don't. The whole howling, girlfriend thing just isn't for me. I'm…"

"…Useless around girls." She added, she knew and had heard this before. "That's the same excuse you use every month."

"I'm seven months old, why rush? I mean, I don't see you finding a date." He added and walking outside with Lily just behind him.

"Mom and dad say it's because wolves mate for life, so if you find your mate early then you can prepare for the rest of your lives." She answered as they sate down above that rise outside their home to look up at the sun set and the Valley. "But that's just gross, I agree with you to be honest."

"You do?" He asked puzzled.

"Totally, I mean, there's no rush. I don't plan on finding someone to love right now. Besides, with how things are with the Eastern pack I don't think things will be very safe around here pretty soon." She had a point. The Eastern pack wanted to start a war with the Western Pack because this pack had more food sources. Apparently, some kind of deal had been made between the two pack leaders, but they were told they were too young to understand. But it was also why their father wanted to get Kate trained up pretty quickly and had even been teaching her a few things already. For some reason, his enhanced instants told him it had something to do with her. But he couldn't be sure.

He shrugged, thinking and understanding the same thing. "But you know what; while you were asleep I got to thinking something." Lily then added.

"What's that? He asked.

"Well, Kate and Humphrey are going to spy on the really bad howlers tonight, I didn't want to do that so I was…kinda thinking…did you want to go, you know, with me?" She asked nervously and worried of his answer. She too didn't think she was much of a howler, but many who had heard and found her singing to herself out in the forest thought they were hearing an angel singing. For her age, her voice was incredible. She, of course, refused to believe it. But others reckoned she'd make one hell of a singing teacher or something. But either way, when she finds a mate he'll be in for one hell of a surprise. He went wide eyed and looked to her, did she really just ask him that?

"What?" He mumbled.

"The howl, do you want to go with me?"

"Ahh…Lily, I'm not…I can't howl."

"Oh please, I've never really howled with anyone and I want to howl with my brother." She pleaded with her best, lavender puppy eyes.

"But what…" Immediately, and like it normally does in stressful situations, his mind started to come up with as many reasons not to. "Others will laugh." He pointed out. "A brother and sister howling together doesn't look cool."

"It'll be fine." She giggled, seeing his attempts and knowing them from the past.

"I can't howl freight." He insisted. "The only howl I can do is a calling howl."

"You're a wolf aren't you?" He laughed again. "All wolves can sing and howl dummy. Or did you forget?"

"I, err…I'm getting a cold." He then started his best attempt at trying to cough. It wasn't working.

"Please Alfa; all I want is to howl with my big brother." She pleaded again. "Please, can't you just howl once with me?" This was going against everything he has lived by in his life. He doesn't howl, he doesn't talk to girls, he doesn't get in the way of other wolves, basically, he gets seen and never heard, and preferably never even seen. That's how he sees it anyway. He was shy, he gets embarrassed easily, he doesn't make himself the centre of attention. He just lives a low life and doesn't stand out.

But this was his sister, and her pleading, puppy eyes seemed to be, for once, having an affect on him. He felt entranced by them, a hypnotising sensation sweeping over him as he felt his sister's gaze working on him. This was going against his instincts; it was defying everything he thought. The gut feeling in his stomach told him not to do this, that this just wasn't right and he should just have an early night at home tonight. But her eyes also sent him that obliging feeling over him. So, with great regret and feeling this would end badly, no sighed and nodded his head.

"Ok, fine. I'll go with you." She yipped and pulled him as tight as she could while squealing excitedly.

"Thank you Alfa, thank you so much." He wasn't happy about this. He knew this was going to end badly.

"Yeah, ok, now get off me." He tried his hardest to seem excited, be he couldn't escape that horrid feeling.

Lily didn't know much about beauty and grooming, usually her mother would help her, but she wanted to try by herself first. Licking down her fur, that's what her mother did to her for special occasions and after taking a bath. It felt, and afterwards, looked alright, her fur brushed down by the bristles of her tongue and those odd parts sticking up were flattened. For some reason, a blue flower behind her left ear seemed appropriate, even more so because it was a lily, the only flower that grows outside the den so it wasn't hard to find. Alfa sat by and watched her efforts, finding it all rather amusing. Why did girls all try so hard to make themselves look good for occasions like this? It was ridiculous; he didn't put any effort into himself, he looked fine just how he was. But to be honest, and this is something he'd never admit. When she was done he did feel some what slightly attracted to her, a small desire to be close to her seeing as she was a she-wolf. He loved her like a brother would a sister, nothing more. This was a brotherly-sisterly howl together for a bit of fun, nothing more. And soon that time to go was upon then.

Night had set over the Valley, The full moon was high in the sky, Kate and Humphrey were in their hiding spot watching and waiting and Alfa and Lily walked through the forest together towards howling rock. He was shaking with worry of how tonight would turn out, but he had a plan. Get there, howl, then go home, nothing more. Don't talk to anyone, don't look at anyone and everything will be fine. But still, this could go disastrously wrong should someone who didn't like him see them together.

Howls of wolves could be heard across the valley, and it wasn't far to get there. On the jagged platforms and ledges naturally built into the rock, couples howled, families howled with their pups, friends with friends, lovers with lovers. Kate and Humphrey should be having a blast, because there were a number of wolves whose howl didn't match and partners argued and walked away embarrassed. That is, wherever it was they were. "Nervous?" Lily asked as they began to step out of the trees.

"Are you kissing me?" He gulped as the daunting rock neared.

"This is a big leap for you; think of it as a way of helping you get over it."

"I don't think its working." He replied. "Right now I want to go home and go to sleep."

"It'll be good for you, don't worry, nothing will happen." His wide, worried eyes suddenly set on something and he instantly froze. "What is it?" Lily followed his gaze, guessing at what the problem must be. A group of four wolves, known to be Alfa's bullies in a way. Richard, leader of the group and potential Alpha to be going to Alpha school with him and Kate. Brown fur on top and grey underneath, his yellow eyes piercing enough to scare Alfa into keeping his distance from him. Then there's his right hand wolf, the second in command. Lewis, his twin brother, a slightly lighter brown on top and a muddier grey on his underside with the same eyes. An Omega at heart, but he was one you didn't want to mess with, but he was the joker of the group nonetheless. There's also James, a black and white Alpha-to-be like Jake, a lethal bite filled with piercing teeth to match his piercing blue eyes, and one good fighter. And finally there's David, a mixture of black and brown all over, a dirty combination really to go with his muddy, brown eyes. Also a soon to be Alpha. There may be one Omega in the group, but they all treated each other fairly and respectfully. Shame they didn't have those as aspects for others. They were bullies to others young wolves, out of control even, don't get in their way and they won't bother you. Winston knew about them and had already spoken with them countless times. He seemed to be the only one who could have some control over them, being Alpha Leader and all, they had to obey him.

Still, Alfa became frozen when he saw them in their group laughing at the bottom of the slope, blocking the way up. "Come on, everything will be fine." Lily insisted and nudging him to move on. He was starting to panic.

"I can't do this Lily; I just want to go home." He said, refusing to take his eyes off them.

"Please, we've come this far, don't make me howl by myself." He couldn't fight her against this; he saw it wouldn't be fair to leave her on the first part of the slope. He nodded. "Just walk the other side of me, you'll be fine." He moved to the other side of her and they continued to walk towards the slope, Alfa watching Richard and his group intently. But suddenly, Jake looked directly at him, so he quickly averted his eyes.

"Well, well, well." He mocked. "Look what the coyote dragged in."

"Take a hike Jake." Lily snapped as they started to walk around them.

"Don't back chat to me Omega." He growled back. "Know your place." He then looked to Alfa. "And you, if I wanted you here I'd tell you personally." Alfa was about to nod and turn back when Lily stopped him and made him walk on. He was quickly laughed at.

"Look." James laughed. "He needs to sister to protect him."

"What kind of Alpha are you?" Lewis added. "You don't deserve to be here if you can't get a real date."

"Well at least he's got one." Lily argued back as they passed and walked up the slope.

"What kind of a date is a brother?" Richard asked as they started to follow them up. "You can't even get a real date Alfa, so you have to go with your sister, the only girl besides your mother that loves you."

"Lily, please just let me go home." Alfa then started to plead. She shook her head.

"Just ignore them." She replied. "One howl and we'll both go home."

They found an empty platform, deserted and not in use, perfect. They walked towards side by side towards the edge where the massive full moon hung overhead. Alfa glanced back to see the gang sitting with smug and victorious grins on their faces, waiting to see what would happen. He looked back to Lily who started to compose herself. She knew little about howling with someone, she had only learned about howling from doing it with her family previously and from watching her mother and father doing it. She copied what she remembers Eve doing one night not too long ago, pushing out her chest and sitting up straight before looking back to her brother.

"Come on Alfa." She smiled. "This'll be fun." He gulped again and walked closer to her, a niggling feeling digging in the back of his head. He looked to his left, a group of three girls watching him, giggling and muttering while pretending not to watch him. To his right and up on another platform, two adults watching with happy smiles at the couple, even if they were brother and sister it was a lovely thing to see. Behind him Richard's gang still sat watching and waiting. To his left and passed the young she-wolves, Humphrey and Kate stepped out of a grouping of bushes, bewildered as to what Alfa was going to do. Alfa, howling, it just didn't make sense. Behind him again and up on another ledge to his left a bit, two young boys, friends, watched him like the giggling girls, pretending they weren't.

He sat beside Lily, his breaths shaky and feeble. "So…ahh." He muttered. "How shall we start?" He kept his eye on all those around him, he was being watched, he was the centre of attention.

"Beats me?" Lily shrugged. "How about we I start and then you can?" She suggested. He quickly nodded. _"Let's just get this over with and everything will be ok."_ He thought. Before he knew it, Lily had her head back and her muzzle pointed towards the moon, an angelic tone and smooth harmony escaping her lips. All rumours were try, she did sound like an angel, even more so because of her age. Her voice was just as beautiful as her looks. Sadly for Alfa, it didn't last long and after a while she lowered her head and looked to him. "Now your turn." She smiled. Humphrey and Kate still looked up at them, watching and waiting, a few couples around had stopped to listen to Lily's voice, wondering if Alfa's would be any different or just as powerful. He looked up to the moon, hoping for some inspiration, he got nothing. He couldn't shake the feeling of being watched out of his head for all sides. He was being watched, he was the centre of attention. His throat began to close up, his eyes starting to water and his legs ready to run. He reached his hearing back towards Richard and the others, hearing them mutter small insults and snicker between themselves at him. Then to the girls, who giggled at him being a hopeless howler and partner. He was being watched, he was the centre of attention, he was being mocked and teased, he was under pressure. He tried to howl, but all that escaped were a few gaps of air. He couldn't howl, this was his hell. He looked Lily in the eye; she still waited patiently and with a smile. But he shook his head.

"I'm sorry." He then took off behind her, down another way off the rock. Richard's gang the girls and other youthful wolves who witnessed it started laughing and mocking him all the more. Humphrey and Kate started to run towards the ending of the slope, only he was now faster, he had a reason to be. He had to get out of here, he couldn't be here anymore. He wanted to find a hole, dig it deeper and never come out.

"Alfa!" Humphrey yelled as they tried to catch him as he jumped off a platform and back onto the real floor and made for the forest. "Alfa wait!" Lily was struggling to follow the same path he made down. She wasn't built for speed or agility like the Alphas. He ran into a thick bush and pushed through it, jumping over and log and into a river. All this wasn't far from the rock at all; he could lose anyone's scent using the river. He ran through the shallow edges, that way he could be fast and wouldn't leave anything that would allow them to follow.

Humphrey, Lily and Kate came sliding to a stop after reaching the nearby river. "He must have gone into it." Kate panted. She couldn't see any tracks, or smell anything to say where he went. He certainly was to be a good alpha one day.

"You're an Alpha aren't you?" Humphrey complained. "Can't you find him?"

"I haven't gone to Alpha school yet, I don't know how to find him." She retaliated. "Lily run home and get mom and dad, tell them everything and we've gone to find him."

"Where are you going?" Lily asked as she started to run in the direction of home.

"We'll head up river; he must have gone that way."

Wrong, Alfa had gone down river, following the flow of it towards wherever it was it ended up. He cried as he ran, his tears streaking down and across his cheeks. He was so humiliated; he knew he shouldn't have left the den. He doesn't howl, he doesn't talk to girls, he's meant for a lonely life, not one with girlfriends or even girls just as friends! Lily and Kate should be the only girls in his life, sisters, that's it! But no, it didn't work like that. He tries to do something nice for his sister and it turns around and blows in his face. Nothing ever goes right!

He banked left; now running alongside the river and into what he was told was a forbidden area to the territory for pups and young wolves who couldn't look after himself. But he didn't care, eh had to get away. He tree branch slapped him across the face, then anther and another. He jumped through a bush, a gap of just plain grass expanded before him until he had to come to a complete stop. The river flowed off and over a small drop, making a little waterfall before it landed and flowed into another river. He looked over into the distance, seeing why this was forbidden. Human's had settled here, using their contraptions that spewed smoke and toxic fumes into their area to dig this giant hole into the earth. Massive human dens and structures only one hundred metres away, humans walking with lights and smaller, faster moving machines moved not too far away either. Black, hardened earth covered the ground just beneath him

He sat by this ledge and looked down, the drop was only about ten feet, so not life threatening, but it was certainly hurt. Any trained Alpha would know how to jump down that with ease. He was no trained Alpha, so it would sure hurt should it happen. But luckily, he had no intention of going down there. Or so he thought. "SHOVE!" Richard bellowed behind him, not only causing him to jump, but slip over the edge after he pushed him over. He reached to try and grab him, but he wasn't quick enough and soon he fell, quickly gaining speed and therefore quickly hitting the floor beside the river and nearly falling in. He landed with a brief cry and loud groan of pain as he slammed into the small patch of grass just before the humans' effort at making ground. It reeked of humans and their waste. His head spun in circles, his eyes blurred and his body racking with pain, and all Richard could chuckle from above was… "Opps." And soon his friends came snickering in behind him to look down at Alfa trying to sit up. His head hurt, his whole body hurt, so he gave up and lay on his side.

Meanwhile, Kate and Humphrey were still running upriver, they hadn't come across anything to show he had come this way, so maybe they were wrong. It hit Kate like a brick to the face so she slid to a stop. "We're going the wrong way." She panted out of breath. "He must have gone downstream." She added and looking back the way they came.

"You go after him, I'll wait here for Lily and your parents and we'll come after you." She nodded and pushed herself to go on; she had to find her brother.

"Looking good down there Alfa!" James called down as he and the others laughed down at his attempts to stand back up. He groaned and lightly cried as he got one paw underneath himself and held himself there.

"You know, it's rather fitting." Richard said, Alfa finally daring to look up at him. "It feels natural for you to look up to me. How can you be the son on the Alpha Leaders?"

"I'm not, I'm adopted." Alfa groaned as he got another paw underneath him and readied to push himself up.

"Ha, that's rich!" Lewis laughed. "The Alpha Leaders son isn't even his son!" Soon the gang were laughing at him again, but at east he was able to get up to his paws.

"I think I'm much rather suited to be the next leader of the pack then you are cur-tail." Richard added threateningly. A youth insult, being called a "curtail" was one of the biggest insults a young wolf could be called. "You low life wolf, you don't belong in this pack. This is a pack for strong wolves, you aren't strong, you can't even talk to a girl. You have to get your own sister to come as your date to a howl." He mocked again, and Alfa dipped his head. In a way, it was all true. He wasn't brave, he wasn't strong, he didn't deserve anything. "With this being the realistic point, why don't you just run along into the human territory and stay away." He suggested and waving him off. "Go on, off you go now." He didn't move, the words ripping him inside piece by piece.

Finally, Kate found Alfa's scent, but also of four other wolves. She wasn't far they were hear somewhere. She was whipped and slapped by trees and bushes as she ran, she was close.

A rack landed beside Alfa's front paw, then another, quickly followed by another. He looked up just as a small pebble hit his back, making a slight stinging sensation ping there. The gang above started throwing rocks, small branches and pebbles down at him, laughing, mocking and teasing him more. They hit him several time, but they also missed, their accuracy wasn't exactly great. "Wait, stop, ow…please, don't…ah, just stop…ouch, please don't…" He pleaded and trying to dodge each object they through at him. They laughed; this was of the greatest games they had ever played. They watched as he started to step back closer to the human's territory, back onto that black, flat earth the humans had made. What was he to do? He couldn't go in there, he'd die! But it seems he didn't have much of a choice. His back left paw touch it, and quickly he pulled it back with a brief cry of pain. It burned. It burnt him yet it wasn't hot and it didn't look hot. What on earth. Richard threw on final acorn, this one striking his head and forcing him completely onto that black surface, his paw steps starting something.

With each step back he took, his paw steps left a trail of smoke behind them, and with each one he took he seethed more and more. This puzzled the gang who stopped. "What's he doing?" Lewis wondered out loud. Suddenly, a high pitch squeal and ringing echoed loudly in his head, like that of one of Lily's high pitched howls, only a thousand times louder and intense. He screamed loud and fell to the floor, his body burning on contact with the surface. But it wasn't hot, what has happening!

"Let's get out of here!" Richard ordered and pulling his gang back away with him.

Alfa cried and cried, his body burning as if thunder had struck him, his head screaming and ringing. His body racked and vibrated with intense pain with the feeling his bones were being shattered, his muscles torn, his nerves shredded, his organs ripped, his skin stretched, everything inside and outside of his body being destroyed all at once. What's happening?

Kate continued to run; she could sense something was wrong with Alfa. Suddenly, a loud shriek and cry of pain and help echoed around her, and quickly slowed to hear it and then see Richard, Lewis, James and David running towards her. "Hey have you seen…?" She never got to finish. They ran straight passed her and onwards back towards the Valley, but the smell of worry and fear on them was evident. She could see Humphrey, Lily and her parents coming up behind her. Did they do something to Alfa.

Meanwhile, Alfa wanted to die, everything and anything on him was hurting. He couldn't describe the pain, not the strange green light that seemed to have grown around him and blocked out everything. He cried, curling up as best he could as the pain still flowed around him, but not as much. It was more like the aftermath. The light dimmed and he cried and cried at the sudden rush of pain and the immense pins and needles feeling all over his body. His vision was left blurred after the light dimmed and disappeared, his grip on reality fading fast and sweating covering his body.

Kate came bursting out of the bushes, frantic and fearful after knowing that cry belonged to Alfa. "Alfa!" She called out. He didn't answer, but he had to be around here somewhere. She looked towards the edge of the rise and looked down it. Astounded to see not Alfa, but a human laid on his side. But he was different then from what her mother and father described him as. She could sense it was a male, but it was different to see one first paw. What was wrong with him, why did he look wet?

"Kate!" Winston called.

"I'm over here dad!" Quickly, the others came dashing through the bushes and ran towards her.

"Where's Alfa, is he here?" Eve asked worried to death for him.

"No, but there's…"Winston saw the human first and grabbed and her by the scruff of her neck and pulled her back while sticking out his paw and stopping Humphrey.

"Everyone, get away from the edge."

"But it looks hurt dad." She insisted. "Can't we help it?"

Alfa looked up, hearing those familiar voices and seeing the coloured but still familiar shapes.

"We leave it Kate." Eve answered. "We can't help humans."

"Alfa might have gone someplace else." Humphrey added.

"Let's go back to the river, we can find his tracks again." Kate struggled to keep her eyes off the human, but her father quickly pulled her away and forced her to move.

"Mom…" Alfa groaned, making Eve look back at him for a moment. It held his human paw up to her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes. _"What a delusional human."_ She had her son to find, she couldn't waste time with humans.

He watched her run away after the others and he let his hand fall. His world started to grow darker, light fading into darkness until he fell into a deep sleep.

**And we're back again guys! I think we're going to make a habit of updating every Monday if we can. So Alfa gone through a big change, and ****i'm not talking about puberty, if wolves even go through that... :S Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it, it's god to see the regulars and some new faces as well. Is this reaching your expectations yet? Keep the reviews coming. Until next time. :()**

**The FalconWolf and Bastard from North**


	4. Chapter 3 A legend Come to Life

Chapter 3: A Legend Come to Life

Opening his eyes slowly, Alfa soon found his head was spinning, his vision was like he had his eyes open under the water, his hearing was like he had his ears covered and his body felt like he had run back and forth across the Valley a thousand times. He ached and stung in varies places all over. Was this some prank Kate, Humphrey and Lily were playing on him? Or Richard and his gang perhaps? _"What happened?"_ He tried to recollect what had happened what felt like only a few moments ago. How could he forget? Making a fool out of himself when he tried to howl with Lily, how everyone stared and watched him, how Richard and his gang mocked him and pelted him with rocks and twigs before he went through that strange, but incredible amount of pain afterwards. What had happened to him? Where was he now?

Through the water like layer forming a film over his eyes, everything was bright, and through the muffled cover over his ears he could hear what sounded to be a strange, high pitched beeping kind of sound, something like a strange bird chirping in a rhythmic pattern. He blinked slowly, why was he like this? He hadn't done any running or anything, where was he? Was this some stupid joke? He felt different all over, he was lying on his back, looking up, but there was something different about this. He groaned quietly and brought his paw up towards his face to try and wipe away the blur , but it didn't work, his paw seemed to be restrained by something. "Finally, you're awake." A female voice said. His vision started to clear, and to his right a figure stood by his side. "Just stay calm, you're in the hospital." Suddenly, the realisation of what the figure was brought back a sudden rush of strength and his vision to return. It was a human! First lesson of being a wolf, stay away from humans! He had to get away.

He tried to roll off the strange, yet comfy thing he was on, he couldn't. That strange sounding chirping bird, wherever it was, tweeted louder and faster as he struggled and groaned to break free from the tethers around his wrists and ankles. Where was he? Why was he with a human? What was this hellish place?! He was panicking, what was going on. The female human ran out the room, through a piece of the wall that seemed to open before it shut again on itself. He still didn't calm down, she was probably getting other humans to come and feast on him. He pulled and tugged, he tried to roll and slip out of the restraints, it wasn't working. Ok, he needed to think. He needed to try something else. But that was when he found another daunting sight. His paw, it wasn't how it was the last time he saw it. It looked like a human's paw; the same went for his other one. His back paws, they were longer and strange looking, the claws on all four of them had shrunk and become blunt, no longer sharp. His hind legs were longer and deformed, his fore legs the same. His body was covered and wrapped in some sort of human clothing. This started the panic again, was there a human under the bed?

What was it Winston taught him? _"Get your bearings, check your surroundings."_ He took a breath to settle his nerves; he had to get out of this. The strange bird sound seems to be coming from the human device beside him, some box shaped object with a green lines that made sharp movements up the front of it. Strange, it was in time with his heartbeat. To the right of the human den was some reflective surface, how could humans put water like that? He could see a human looking back at him; only it was moving with his movements. Ahead and to the left of him was a bear human wall coloured white, the same went for the ceiling. What was this place, was this what one of those human dens look like from the inside? Ok, now for a bodily check. His paws, they weren't his, neither was in body or legs, and a look in that watery surface showed his face wasn't either. The only black fur he had on his was on the top of his head. This had to be a dream, he wasn't a human!

Ok, now phase two of the plan, get out of here! He started to pull again on the restraints around his wrists, curling his human paws into a fist to try and slither them out. He had to be quick, that human female would be back soon.

Little did he know, he was being watched from beyond the watery surface. It was a false mirror, and on the other side two men stood watching him and his attempts to get free. They were called by the nurse, saying he was finally awake and panicking. He was a strange case for Doctor Daniel, he was found unconscious on the edges of the quarry outside Jasper Park, and to top it off, naked! This was the first case he had come across like this, a naked young boy, roughly fifteen years of age by looking at the blood results, found on the edges of the wilderness. Some prank maybe, a group of young boys left him there perhaps. He seemed to be healthy in a physical way, but by looking at him now he was beginning to wonder about his mental sake. He was strapped down for his and their own protection; they didn't know how he'd react. He was found with a few bruises, but other then that he was perfectly fine. Robbery was another possibility, so the police were called and waiting for the doctors to confirm it was ok to interview him. Looking at the strange looking scar that looked to have been recently burnt under his left eye, it could support he was assaulted and robbed. Or he could be apart of some gang of sorts, and he was found during some initiation ceremony. Hence why they had to play this safe.

Still, he needed help. Not only did they determine his age through the blood tests, but they found some interesting results. He was AB negative in terms of his blood type, only one percent of the world have this blood type, so it was very rare and hardly come across. But there was another thing in his blood that suggested something else, a small, but visible, anomaly in his blood that could be leukaemia or something else. But it didn't show that was the case, it was something else.

Beside him Kyle stood, a man who worked in social services and child care, also he was a child psychologist, so he was needed here to assess the boy's mental health. They watched the boy pull at the restraints as they started talking about their verdict. "I don't think he's gang material." Said Kyle. "He's afraid, he's panicking. He really doesn't want to be here."

"Any idea as to his back ground?" The Doctor asked.

"Maybe, did you see his reaction to the nurse and to the room?" The Doctor shook his head. "He looked terrified, and by looking at him now he still does, like he's never seen this place before. By everything you've told me, I say he's lived out in that forest all his life, he's had no contact with any other person and doesn't know what on earth is going on here."

"That could explain things." Dr Daniel nodded in agreement. "I'm going to check his blood pressure again, see if anything's changed. Can you stay out here and monitor him?"

"Of course." Kyle nodded, and after checking his paperwork on the boy quickly he opened the door.

Alfa quickly froze upon the wall opening again, his eyes wide open in fear of the male human walking in. He still tensed up, pulling on the tethers, but only in fear as the human closed the wall again. In one paw, he had a thin wooden plank and in the other in had a rounded object which he held steady. He couldn't speak, he couldn't say anything. Was he going to die? Daniel's could see the fear practically flowing out of him, he needed to say something. "Hi there." He said in a simple and friendly tone. "My name's Doctor Daniels, do you have a name?"

It was becoming too much for Alfa, he tried to answer but no voice came out, more like a crackle and exhales. Tears started to well in his eyes, he was terrified. His instincts once again kicked in and he tugged aggressively on the tethers.

"Whoa, take it easy kid." The doctor said calmly while coming to the side of him. Alfa stopped, he wasn't getting out of here and he understood that now. "You'll hurt yourself." He soon added as Alfa stopped. "Do you know where you are?" He then asked. He looked around the den again and then back into his eyes. He didn't answer, he shook his head. "You're in Edmonton Hospital; you were found in Jasper Quarry unconscious and flown here by helicopter for special treatment. We want to help you." Alfa sensed the honesty in the man's voice, he was speaking truthfully. He wanted to help him so it was only fair he helped the man, despite the fact he didn't understand any of the words he just spoke. "Well, do you or shall I keep calling you nameless kids from now on?"

"My name's Alfa, mister doctor Daniels sir." Alfa responded with a slight bow of his head as a curtsy. He wanted to get back to his family, as a human or not, so if trusting his human was the only way he'd do it. Maybe he'd help him find his normal body again. He had to be polite and submissive to his elders by his mother and father, so he tried his hardest despite the current situation he was in. He had to be respectful to others if he wanted to be respected back. Not that it really worked before paw. The human smiled and looked back at Kyle still watching him for a moment before looking back to him.

"Well hello Alfa, you have a very interesting name don't you?" Since when were human's friendly? All the stories he's heard about them, it's been about them being the enemy or the bad guys. So how come this one was being friendly?

"It might be a little." He blushed and smiled nervously. Making his own mental conclusion, he saw he was only acting out of fear of the sudden events. He reached down and unbuckled one of the straps, freeing his right wrist which he flinched to out of fear. He then walked around the bed to his ankles and finally to the last wrist and releasing him completely.

"They were only to make sure you were safe, I can see you'll be ok." Alfa groaned as he pushed his human paws behind him and tried to sit up, it was hard, why though? He looked himself in the water again on the wall, and touched his face, this was real!

"Have you never seen your reflection before?" Dr Daniels asked.

"I look different." Kyle made a new mental note, this child clearly could talk, but his knowledge on living like a human, rather then an animal, was lacking.

"So how are you feeling Alfa? Sick? Are you hurting anywhere?" He asked and sitting on the edge of the bed. Alfa didn't answer; he looked down at his human feet and rolled his ankles around. There was slight pleasure and a wonderful feeling that flooded to him as he did it. It was the equivalent of stretching after sitting down for hours. The doctor could only wait for him to come around, he certainly was an odd boy. "Hello, Alfa?" He asked again, this time Alfa responded and opened his eyes. "Are you hurting anywhere? Feeling sick at all?" He shook his head.

"What is this?" He asked and pointing to the strange feeling fur on his body. "It's doesn't feel like fur."

"It's paper, just to keep you covered up for the moment until we can find you some clothes." He stood up from the bed, making Alfa's arm buckle which he used to hold himself up and fall to the side and off the bed. The doctor ran around quickly as Alfa groaned while trying to push himself up again. He had a good look at his new paws as he did tried. Suddenly, Daniels grabbed his arm to help him up, only Alfa wasn't sure of his intentions. He reeled back and pushed him away, releasing an aggressive and wild like snarl. This was a shock to the doctor, the same with Kyle who thought it was time he made an appearance. The doctor moved away, seeing that grabbing him made a bad impression while Alfa scampered back into the corner of the room and tried to look for a way to stand up. His legs were like jelly, he had no control over them.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to grab like that." The doctor apologised. Alfa found he could stand and he eventually brought his knees up and wrapped his arms around them.

"I know, and I'm sorry for growling, I don't usually do that." He sniffed as if he was ready to cry again.

"Don't be, but can I ask…" He then added, making Alfa look up to his gaze as the doctor knelt down beside him. "Do you have any family? We need to call your parents to let them know what's happened to you, I'm sure they're worried." He nodded as he reached up to the side table and tried to pull himself up. He couldn't, he still had no sensation in his legs and he couldn't support himself. "Here, let me." He reached out, but didn't touch him. Eventually, Alfa nodded and let the human touch his arm and gradually help him to his feet. He used the wall beside him to support him and keep him balanced. Still, Daniels made observations, his legs were weak clearly, they'd have to be checked over. After a few attempts, Alfa was standing, wobbly, but standing against the wall. "So, do you have anyone we can call?" He asked again and taking a step back.

"My mom and dad live in Jasper Park." He answered as Kyle came back to the window after getting permission to walk in whenever he wanted. "They're leaders of my pack, can…can you howl to them please, let them know I'm safe?" He asked shyly. Now it was the good doctor's turn to become bewildered. Howl for them? Why on earth would the kids want to howl to his parents? He really has been wild all this time. But he had to keep him calm.

"We sure can." He nodded.

"And can you tell them I'm sorry, I didn't mean to run away." He nervously added.

"You ran away?" Daniels asked, making Kyle listen in keenly. He thought back to the night again, everything that had transpired.

"I should have just stayed at home." He sniffed as a tear fell again. "If I did then I wouldn't have become a monster, I wouldn't have gotten lost and they wouldn't have hurt me." Kyle couldn't' believe what he was hearing, his parents hurt him? This was outrageous he wouldn't stand for this.

"Is that how you ended up in the quarry?" Daniels asked again, trying to get more information so social services could prosecute the parents. Alfa only nodded.

"I should have just stayed at home and not gotten in Richard's way." Stamping his foot down, Kyle reached for the door and pulled down the handle.

Suddenly, the wall opened again, but just before, the shiny object at human waist height moved down before it opened and a second male human entered the room. "I've seen enough." He said as he walked in and stood in the doorway. "Alfa, my name is Kyle; we're going to take good care of you. I promise." His tone was harsh and angered, yet it brought truth with it.

"Not yet, we still would like to do some tests before we can let you have him. He seems to have some mental condition, possible he hit his head, He's very confused so we must take it…" Alfa saw his chance to get away and he took it. The wall was open and it led into some kind of tunnel, he wasn't going to waste his possible only chance. He ran, well...stumbled out the door and started to run down that corridor. He was out the door before the humans realised and was at the end of the corridor before they stepped out the room.

"Damn that kid's fast." Kyle gasped. "Are you sure he has weak legs?"

He didn't know where he was running, he only knew he had to go and never stop. He fumbled and stumbled as fast as he could, passing more humans along the way and narrowly avoiding human pushing similar bedding that he was on earlier. They stared at him, wondering what he was doing. At some points he fell and other's tried to help him up, he was quick to push them away before they could hurt him and run on. He knew those two males would be after him soon, he couldn't stay here, he had to get out. The first words that came to him as he ran were the words of his father he told him once should he get lost. _"Get to high ground, there you can find where you need to go."_ It was common sense, even to a future Alpha like himself, it all came as instinct. He was being driven by fear as he avoided humans and darting down the tunnels. The smells, the sights, the sounds, all crashing into his senses as he came to a dead end. He cursed to himself as he brought himself to a steady stop and looked at the wall. But it was similar to the wall in the room he was just in, it had a thin rectangular gap on it with the same shiny object stuck to it. It moved down before it opened! So taking his human paw, he took a hold of it and push it down before giving it a little pull. It opened and it set him off balance a little.

He could hear shouting far behind him, they were still after him.

After he jumped through and pulled it closed, the ground changed into a harder and slightly rougher surface and it changed into a grey colour. Before him and to the right, the ground went down like a hill, the same on the left, only it went up. He had to find out where he was. He went left and started climbing the steep hill, finding it spiralled upwards, going higher and higher and what he predicted soon to be the sky. This place was horrifying; it was full of humans with strange noises, sights and smells. It was a wolf hell.

He climbed and climbed, going higher and higher until he thought it was never going to end. Finally, he came to another wall, and after a moment he found another lever which opened the door. He charged out, more sounds and smells forcibly going up his nostrils as he ran. It was dark but small suns dotted themselves around, small sources of light in balls. The human harnessed the sun? How? A cliff was to his right, great, he couldn't be that far from home. He walked to the edge, careful not to fall again like he already had near what the humans called "the quarry". Far below him, he could see fast moving lights, human contraptions, more humans, loud noises, toxic smells to inhale, both huge and small human dens. The one thing missing? Jasper Park. It wasn't here, there were no trees, there were no wolves or caribou or plains or rivers, just humans and their devices.

He was in another state of panic, wait, the stars! There were no stars, just a thick layer of cloud and fumes. It was dirty here, it was infested with humans! Now he could see why it was it was forbidden for young wolves to leave the territory. He was lost, he was confused, he was in a world he didn't know. He was human! He looked back down at his paws, his body, he had no tail, he had no claws or large canines. He wasn't a wolf anymore. Clearly this was no prank, this was real, Alfa was a human!

Meanwhile, back in Jasper, the tension could not be any higher or serious. The pack sensed it in the air, something was very wrong with their leaders. It was so heavy that it could be touched with their own paws. Outside the pack leader's den, sat four wolves before it and it's owners, Winston and Eve. They were furious, scared, sad, a great combination of emotions as they looked down at the four wolves, three of them soon to be Alpha's of the pack. This was not setting a good example. Behind Richard, Lewis, James and David, their parents sat a little way just as furious and sorry to the leaders, they too sharing the same scolding glare Winston and Eve gave them. Lily told her parents of their actions at the howl, how they've treated Alfa for most his life and Kate told them they were running from the direction Alfa was last heard from.

"You don't know how disappointed I am." Winston growled. "Three of you are going to be future Alphas, three new protectors of the pack, and here you are chasing and abusing a member of it."

"You should be exiled from the pack." Eve snarled hostilely, making them flatten their ears and gulp.

"Eve, you know we can't do that, there is no strong evidence that they forced Alfa to run away."

"You heard what our daughter's said." She then turned to him angrily. "They mocked him, they hurt him and they run from where he was last heard and you don't think that's proof?" As much as he still agreed with her, he knew he couldn't.

"Go." He ordered to the young wolves. "Think about your actions and return here before day break. You will be punished for this."

"Winston sir, if I may…" One of the mothers started, but never finished until Eve snarled like never before and making her freeze and walk back. Never had anyone seen her in this way, she had a constant wild, threatening look in her eye. This was not her at all. She, along with all the other parents, collected their son's and took them home.

Inside the den, Lily cried into her paws and Humphrey was beside her to try and comfort her while Kate tried to listen into what was happening outside. The snow white wolf felt it was all her fault. She pressure Alfa into going to the howl with her, she should have just let it go and let him stay at home. Kate wasn't happy with the results she heard, they should have been exiled. She walked back towards her friend and sister, sad herself and trying comfort her five minute younger sister while trying to herself.

Eve looked at them all, it wasn't fair. Alfa may not have been her pup but he was a part of their family, she was her son and that was that. She had lost one of them, and she mentally there and then swore that she wouldn't be losing her daughters. Sure, Alfa may return tonight or tomorrow, but then again he may never. As of this moment, Eve had lost her first pup, the pup she and Winston found when she was heavily pregnant with Kate and Lily. She was going to change, no longer would she accept the crap coming out of other wolves mouths, no longer would she let anymore get away with things so easily without a firm warning of the consequences of what may happen afterwards should something else happen. She was going to watch her daughters carefully, and when they were out of sight, she'd threaten anymore who was near them.

Lily had a feeling though in her stomach, she knew Alfa wasn't dead, they all knew he wasn't, he clearly had just run away. He'd be back; they all knew he'd be back. He had to! But when…?

Looking around Alfa couldn't see any trees or sign that a forest was anywhere nearby. There was no use in howling, nobody other then the humans would hear and find him. There weren't any stars to tell him where to go; he was truly lost in this world. Was he trapped here? Was he going to have to stay here for his human life? Would he ever see his family again? That thought became more and more apparent and the obvious future for him as each moment passed. Right now, he looked down at a small puddle on the floor. He was on his strange human knees as he looked down into it at his surface. This was all so strange, this was not normal. But now it was clear he wasn't normal either.

Could he be…? No, it was stupid, they weren't real. If they were they were long gone! But then again, it could be the reason why he was so drawn to the stories. To him it was like moth to a flame, wherever there was a Guardian story being told he was there. The still stinging scar under his right eye only added to the possibility. It was a near complete circle, only the bottom of it didn't quite join and instead they flicked out to the sides. **( **Ώ **)** It was the only, clear reasonable explanation. He was a guardian!

He looked closely at the still stinging burnt scar, this new mark on his new body. A new life was required. He was what the storied he weren't his adoptive father talk about; he was the protector all the pups wanted to be. He was a descendant of the pack the White Shadow came once led. He was a wolf that could change into a human! As insane as it was, it was the only explanation. He changed when he stepped foot onto human territory, like the guardians did. The change was painful, like their first change was. It all added up!

He couldn't go home, not like this and even if he did change back. He was a freak; he was a wolf that changed into a monster. He couldn't go back like this; they'd never look at him again. It was then he heard footsteps to his left, and coming out of the part of the wall that opened stepped those two men from the room he saw earlier and a third man, this one wearing a kind of blue fur on top and black on the bottom, but holding come kind of black stick. "Alfa, all we want to do is help you." Kyle said calmly and without moving. "We can help you get better, we can find you somewhere to live and we can do anything to…"

"Can you help me learn about this place?" He asked a little shyly.

"Of course we can." Doctor Daniels answered. "Come, come with us, we can help you." He said stepping forward and holding out his hand. He took a moment, looking at the palm of this human before growing a small and relatively confident smile. He took it in his new human paw and placed it in his before he was pulled to his feet and brought back towards the opening wall, the quiet words playing in his head.

"_Nothing will be the same again."_

**So guy's, how's it going? I am probably not not popping up so much but, oh well, insanity needs some time :D **  
**As you may have noticed, Falcon is starting the go insane the more he talks to me. So, I'll keep that up and he can join me in the insane side ^_^**  
**But anyways, Falcon and I have been having quite much planning on this story and I hope we can make this rather long. I still give him credits for helping me with this and being awesome partner on this! :) I hope ya all like it and don't be afraid to show it, insanity is approved here :D**

**Bastard from North**


	5. Chapter 4 The Human Life

**I apologise guys for the late update, I know we said we'd update every Monday, but my Monday this week was crazily busy, so i had no time. It it was for my partner, then I would've completely forgot about updating this week at all. But anyway, here it is. :)**

Chapter 4: The Human Life

He always dreamed of adventure, he always imagined himself being in the stories he just didn't expect it to be like this, he never thought it would actually happen this way. Alfa, born a wolf, now chose to live as a human. Here, in this new world, in this huge, mysterious and scary world, it was all his to explore. After discovering the massive realisation on the rooftop that he was indeed a guardian, he went peacefully, but still absolutely terrified, with the doctors to finish what they started. Kyle, the man in social services who also had a degree in child psychology, made notes on the answers the boy gave him. He was a rather peculiar young man, his knowledge of this world was very limited, so many conclusions were made very quickly. It was clear to him now that this child had lived a life in the woods; he never made contact with any other human. His wild, erratic behaviour, it was clear to him now. He questioned many things, what this den was called, who people were, why they were called that, what the equipment was and did.

The second theory was that his parents must have been squatters living in the forest, teaching him to ignore this world and live in theirs. It would explain many things. Alfa confirmed it, saying how he's lived his life with his adoptive parents out in the forest ever since he was a newborn pup. This, of course, only disgusted them, how could they give the care of a young baby to a couple of wild adults who can't even look after themselves? It outraged Kyle and the doctors that worked on Alfa, taking a few more blood tests and exams to check he was health which remarkably he was. He was healthy in every way possible. But it wasn't the end of everything that happened to him.

The following day, Kyle brought him to a place, another human den, but this known as a "clinic", whatever the hell that means. There, Kyle had to endure hearing how Alfa led his life, and apparently he enjoyed it. It took a while, but Kyle was able to make Alfa see that it was no way to live, that it wasn't good for a boy of his age, but also that from now on it would get much better. Alfa had his doubts. Even though he wanted to go back home, he'd be considered a freak now, he couldn't. He taught Alfa to walk with strength, to become more balanced on his two feet. The days following Kyle rather enjoyed, it was teaching him about this new world he was to experience. Showing him common objects, telling him what they were and how they use them. It was like teaching a toddler, he didn't know anything and even phone a ringing phone frightening at first.

Alfa felt it, each day that passed he felt something slip out of him. Each day he went through as a human, he lost a piece of his wolf. With each new piece of human information that went into his head, a piece of who he really was left. His pride of being a wolf, gone in a matter of weeks. According to Kyle, it wasn't good for humans to act like he did, growl, snarl and howl like a wolf, and that it needed to stop. It was hard, it was instinct that he acted like that; still, it had to stop. He began to think that this gift of being a guardian wasn't a gift, more so a curse. He had to be secretive about it, he didn't want to be the centre of attention again, look where that got him! Neither his pack nor the humans around him could know about him and this "gift" he had. He hated this "gift", it killed him in one way and made him reborn in another, his wolf was dying and his human was being born. He thought bit was be great, he told Winston this, he told wrong.

Along with learning human objects and their uses, he learned to read human writing. Kyle was astonished how much this kid didn't know, it was a task for him, but a task he enjoyed. He was privileged to help this young boy have a better life. He was a fast learner, he memorised very quickly and soon they were onto the next thing.

It wasn't just human life and skills he needed to learn, it was his own body too. He questioned a lot about his body, why it looked so funny in many areas. He was taught about hygiene, his body parts as well as the opposite sex's. He was taught to read and write and use computers, everything any normal boy would want. Going out into society was another big step, learning how to act around people. So using eye contact which he was terrible at due to his shy nature, how to be respectful the human way rather then bowing slightly or making some act of submission to higher people, which was nearly everyone in his eyes. How to greet people, how to talk to people and how to say goodbye. His social skills were only as good as his shyness let him.

What Kyle, and the various other doctors and humans that worked with Alfa, found was that he was very empathic, he was good at detecting someone feelings, whether deep down or not, as well as expressing his own. It was a great asset for them. But what they also saw was that he was no good at releasing those emotions of his. He was good at talking about them, but not letting them out. The best way to describe it…he was like a sealed bottle with water being forced in. And with no room to go, it's only getting fuller and fuller and fuller until one day…it'll burst.

His shy nature was picked up upon easily, also how he never expressed his emotions in a physical way; it was something they could work towards in their sessions. Kyle was the one human he could completely trust in these times, he was the one person he could understand as he did back. He was picky about who he trusted, he could just sense if someone wasn't truly who they say they were. He avoided those people, the ones who lied.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months and eventually months turned into two years. Alfa was now a seventeen year old young man, living in a care home with fourteen other kids. Two years have been and gone since that fateful day he changed. The scar under his left eyes healed, but still clearly visible. It would never heal over, he would always have that circular mark as a reminder of who he really was and that there was no escaping it. The care home was an eventful place. It was a two story high home pretty much, the attic converted into a second floor to make room for bedrooms, one of which being Alfa's. Everyone here was friends, despite the ranging age groups. The youngest child being six years old, the oldest seventeen, the oldest being Alfa and one other. Everyone got along, rarely were there fights, it there was then it was about who had the TV remote first and everyone known how messy that can get. It looked on the outside like the average, little bit bigger then normal home. It had a massive kitchen and dining room, a large living room, a games room, many bedrooms. It was a perfect home for children. The head care worker, Todd, a great bloke, far to jolly to be honest and he always made everyone laugh during the tense times.

Kyle, the man who has been with him ever since the beginning, not only helped his social skills, but to help develop hem further, he found Alfa a small part-time job working one or two days a week in a local café. It worked for him, he enjoyed it. Sure, it wasn't natural in many ways; this wasn't how a wolf behaved. But then again, he had left that life behind, so it didn't matter. It was fun, and it did indeed encourage him to talk to knew people, but he was still shy about it, hardly did he engage in conversations with people. Nether the less, it gave him something to do in his spare time

The background of the kids here were pretty much all similar. Many of them had a small mental disorder, but it didn't make them any worse then the next kid. For example: there was Jack, fifteen years old and Autistic, so he had a few problems that clearly his parents could handle. His only default in everyone's eyes was that he wouldn't stop talking! Then there's Dennis, who had no clue of the world. He was partially blind; his single mother couldn't cope with it but arranges constant visits and days out with him. Then there's Lloyd, who was a pretty creepy kid. He was into some weird things, a bit of a Goth if you ask anyone. Everyone here had a minor issue like that, but there was one who stuck out the most. That is…whenever he came down from his room at the top of the home opposite Alfa's room. Oscar, he was the silent, mysterious type, but most certainly one you didn't want to get in the way of. If you were in the corridor and he was coming, you get out the way. He wasn't a bad or nasty kid; he had his own issues and didn't like to talk about it. He had his moments; he was just a glum person. He plays with the younger children every so often, but hardly putting much effort into anything. He was someone Alfa found most curious, nobody knew much of his background, who nobody knew anything about him.

The near two years he had been here, it's been one battle over another to understand this world. Even to this day, he had visits from Kyle who had now pretty much become his best friend. In this town that is Edmonton, he had once again settled down.

But not a day went by that he never found himself looking out the window at the very distant forest that he once knew. The care-home was on the edge of town, so he would sit on the window ceil and stare out into the darkness before he went to bed or into the light during the day at the distant forest that was once his home. He wondered frequently if they were all ok, if they were still trying to find him. He wanted to howl to them, but that wasn't the right human thing to do anymore, besides, they wouldn't hear him. He was far too far away. Sure, he may still have his wolf like senses and skills, including stamina, strength and speed, but it wasn't going to be of any use to him now. Like there would ever be. This whole "guardian" business was pointless; there was no need for it.

Today, two a few days before it became exactly two years since he started living this new life, he stood at a point he never dared to cross again. It was the boundary to the human territory, a woodland he liked to walk by and wished to go inside. Never in these two years did he change or cross out of human territory and into the wild where they don't belong and controlled. With his hands buried into his jacket pockets, he looked down at his feet, still on the concrete of the path, but only just behind where it ended and turned into dirt, entering the area humans didn't control. He could do it right now, he could step over and change, go home, see his family again. But each time he came to this moment, he stepped back and away. That was a life he left behind, a life that if he returned to would be full of more teasing, questioning, being put in the spotlight, being a freak. He couldn't do that. So he did it again, he stepped away and with a sigh he walked away back into the city to carry on his walk.


	6. Chapter 5 Confrontations

Chapter 5: Confrontations

BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…BEEP…

Same old, same old; nothing special about waking up thing day compared to any of the others. The bed, perfect and comfy, the alarm clock however… well, that's another story. Sure, back in the days when he was preparing for Alpha school, after spring he would be getting up early most days of the week, he didn't think that part of his human life would come back with him. Seriously, does anyone enjoy getting woken up by one? He groaned in annoyance as he slithered his arm out from under the blanket that covered his body and head, his left leg however sticking out the bottom. He dropped it on his bed side table, feeling around for the source of the most irritating sound known to human kind, probably. He found it, but like most mornings, the button didn't work. He hit it, he hit it again but this time harder, he slammed his fist down even harder, this time it worked.

The noise stopped and his hand dropped as he groaned again before rolling onto his back and pulling the blanket over his face. A streak of light peeked through the curtains and straight into his eyes that made him seethed like a creature of the night and hide again under the blanket. He took a moment; he needed to wake up more. That time came a couple of minutes later when suddenly the door crashed open and a young six year old little boy came bundling through with another year younger girl and both together they collapsed on the floor. Alfa jolted awake, quickly sitting up in his bed as the two only laughed. They just didn't get it, a teenager needed sleep. Apparently, in a year's time he'd be moving out of here to find a home of his own. In humans years he was seventeen, and apparently he couldn't stay here when he was eighteen. He groaned again as he fell back down and wiped his eyes,

"Tim says breakfast is ready!" The little boy laughed as he squirmed back to his feet.

"Really Crash?" Crash, it was the little boy's nickname. It was given to him after discovering his constant habit of dropping things or knocking things over. He was clumsy, so it was appropriate. "You guys came in her just to tell me that?"

"He also said to hurry up, it's getting cold." Sophie giggled before dashing back out of the room.

"Fine, whatever. I'll be there soon." He sighed right before Crash ran out of the room after the girl. They were the best of friends, always bundling and play fighting. It kind of reminded him of…

He quickly shook the thought out of his head; he couldn't be remembering things like that. So, now the normal routine begins. He crawled out of bed, he grabbed a towel and fresh clothes for the day before making for the shower before anyone else could use it and hoping nobody had, he wanted hot water today, unlike yesterday. He was in luck, and soon he was changed, smelling good and dry before he went down for breakfast. As he walked down the stares, his nostrils flared and the smells of breakfast flooded them, he made his prediction of what it would be. He passed those two young children again, it made him smile and couldn't help but remember who they reminded him of. Passed them, he saw a number of the house occupants in the living room watching TV, using the computer and just talking. Straight ahead was the kitchen and dining room where a long table stood, a large plate of pancakes in the middle, his prediction was correct. On the far side of the table, that creepy, Gothic boy, Lloyd, sat wearing full black clothes, black finger nails, and a little eye liner, everything he knew a girl would wear. And what he knew about humans thus far, it wasn't right…or normal for that matter.

Anyway, he sat down bidding his good mornings to him and Tim, the house head care worker, who was around a good morning before getting his fill. This was the normal day, although he had a couple of hours at the café later on, he had time for breakfast and some small amount of talk before having to leave. But he wasn't one to talk unless he had to. Even after these last two years, he was still the shy type. So he would just hang around in his bedroom for the next hour. He helped wash up of course, but after that he walked back the way he came, along the corridor, up the stairs to the attic floors where his room was and then…

He stopped was he came to the point right at the top of the stairs where he could either go left to his room or right into a room nobody was allowed in. He looked right, something wasn't right. Oscar, that boy who liked to keep it himself and never really told much about himself to anyone, his bedroom door was open, he never left it open. It was always shut so nobody could go in; he even had a bolt lock on the other side of the door. So this was defiantly not what he'd do.

"Os…Oscar?" He called out a little. He didn't get an answer. He reached out his hearing for the room, there wasn't anyone in there. But he had to be sure, he didn't want to risk anyone else doing the same that he was about to do and get caught. It was also curiosity that made him do what he did next. He walked towards the half open door, taking side steps to be ready to make a fast get away in case Oscar should quickly step out of it. He pushed it open a little more, knocking as he did. "Is anyone in there?" He asked as it pushed open further. It was empty. This was stupid; curiosity was getting the better of him. He was probably the only person in the house that has ever been this far into the room, and he had only taken one step into it. The walls were of a navy blue, the curtains were closed and letting little light through. The bed was neatly made, and the room was tidy overall. Next to the door was a desk, covered with paper, pencils, and pens, and above that and stuck to the wall a board was hung, attached to it was drawings.

This was peculiar, the drawings were pretty much all of wolves. Not by the colours of pencils, but by the feeling you got from looking at them, it had a dark feeling to them. Wolves snarling through dark forests, wolves standing still, a pack of seven standing, sitting and lying around. Howling at the moon, a bloodied face even. What was this, why did this guy have an obsession with wolves? On a number of the drawings and pictures, a strange looking symbol appeared on most of them. It was like a letter Y, but with two horizontal lines through the bottom of it. ( ¥ **) **Why did he feel his scar under his eye beginning to tingle as he laid eyes upon it?

This was getting stupid and risky, yet still he found himself picking up some writing, a kind of poem Oscar made have written.

_"A promise that I keep, I'll never share, I'll never speak,_

_To my grave the secret goes._

_The beating heart, in side the chest of unearthly creatures wondering far,_

_Through these veins the strong blood flows."_

It was short, but the words really impacted Alfa. But why? Why did all this make him feel the way it was making? Why was it…

"What are you doing?" Suddenly, Oscar seemed to have appeared in the doorway, an annoyed, irritated and confused look on his face. "Why are you in my room?" He wore his normal fashion. The brown hair, his scary grey eyes that just didn't look right, his black trousers, thin grey hooded sweater, a white shirt under that and a black trench coat over all that. It seems he was getting ready to go out. All this plus the same brown rag tied around his left hand that he always wore. Rumours around the house suggested it was there because he had a terrible burn he got that he didn't want people to see. But that was a rumour, nobody could be sure, so they went along with it.

"I'm sorry, I was just…the d-door…I only thought…" He couldn't get his words right, so Oscar finished them for him,

"You thought nothing." He growled. "Now get out." Alfa nodded, he wasn't hanging around for this, he knew this was a stupid idea. He walked passed him and as soon as he was out the door was slammed shut behind him and the bolt slid shut. He didn't stop or look back; he just knew he had to get out of there as fast as he could. Better earlier then late, he didn't want to hang around for the rest of the hour before he had work. He grabbed a coat, some shoes and made for the door.

On the other side of Oscar's bedroom door, he was leaning back against it, amazed that someone would dare walk into his room, especially some as shy and nervous as Alfa. He looked to his desk, why was he even in here in the first place and looking through his things. How much did he see? How much did he know? Did he suspect anything? He had to be sure, he had to know? This was literally his life at stake here! He opened the door again; he needed to confront Alfa about this. He walked to his room pushed open the door but only to find it was empty. He then remembered a little about his life, his physiatrist makes him work at a local café, one he's seen him in before. He was going to have to pay him a visit.

The café was silent, but there was a small group of people already sat and enjoying their morning. Alfa was quick to get out of there and get to someplace that would take his mind off what had happened. Ciara, she was the lady who own and ran the small place and worked with one other woman. She didn't Alfa working with her, just as long as he was on time and got the work down, which was always was and did, he was rather the star employee here. "Sorry I'm late." He panted as he came crashing through the doors. He didn't realise until he left, he was supposed to have come in like…ten minutes ago! She was behind the counter, scrubbing the surfaces.

"Good morning, and no worries." She smiled and laughing a little at his desperation to get to work on time. "Just get behind the register and settle down." He nodded and started taking calmer breaths to calm himself down as he walked around the counter.

"I've got to go out quickly; my mom has been calling me all morning about something. Are you ok with that? I won't be long."

"No, it's fine with me. Go right ahead." He replied as he passed and putting his coat on a shelf under the counter.

"You life saver, I'll only be an hour or so. Call me if you need me." She added relieved while gathering her things before making for the door. But right as three men came walk in, two of them dressed as if they had just come out of the country while the third looked local. They seemed happy about something; they seemed to be anxious to get something done. The local man obviously knew Ciara.

"Now where are you off to darlin'? The boys and I are thirsty."

"Sorry Craig, I've got errands to run. But Alfa over there would be glad to help." She patted his shoulder before walking passed the three of them and out the door.

"That'll be three coffees my boy. Make it quick too." He added while snapping his fingers in Alfa's direction before taking the two men to a table. Who did this guy think he was? He wasn't some servant. Nether the less, they were a customer and he was obliged to serve them. But while he prepared their drinks, he couldn't help but overhear their mumbling. He reached out his wolf like hearing towards their table, to pick up on what they were talking about.

"So Jerry, what brings you to town?" That rude man asked.

"Well, my brother here and I decided it was time we checked out the other areas. Back home we only have small game and we want bigger." The man he guessed was Jerry answered.

"Oh of course. Around these parts there is plenty of big game. I mean…We're talkin' caribou, elk, cougars, bears, we've got the works going on here." After readying the last cup of coffee, Alfa growled to himself as he quickly realised who these guys were. And couldn't help but slightly slam down each mug onto their table as he put them in front of them. Still, even as a human, he hated hunters. He walked back behind the counter, listening in on their conversation as he waited for the next customers and cleaning the surfaces. It wasn't until an hour later that the third man, whom he soon came to know, called Jimmy, asked something he wished he never listened into.

"So, Craig, there's something I need to ask. What's the wolf situation like up here?" The mug in his hand which he was washing broke from the sudden amount of force he squeezed into it. Lucky for him he had his back to them. Did he really just hear that?

He peaked back out the corner of his eye to see the local man named Craig pull out a laptop, but what was on it he couldn't see.

"This here is a satellite picture of Jasper Park barely fifty miles from here; this here is the epicentre of a wolf pack, a wolf pack the community much desires to be gone." Alfa held his breath as he looked to the wall in front of him, were they talking about the pack he was thinking?

"And that's why you called us?" Jimmy questioned.

"Indeed." Craig nodded. "You two are renowned for being two of the most precise shooters in the state. So this is the deal, the company I work for needs the pack cleared out, and to do that, we are willing to offer you twenty thousand dollars for their "relocation" shall I put it ,in two weeks." He finished chuckling.

"I thought you suits didn't like the shoot to clear types?" Jerry chuckled.

"Now who ever told you that?" Craig chuckled again. "So, do we have a deal?"

Alfa waited, he prayed and hoped he wasn't going to here that word. But sadly…

"Deal." Jerry said happily and soon afterwards he heard the clap of their hands meeting to shake. Alfa couldn't believe it, his home, his family, they were in danger! It was right about then that the door opened again and Ciara stepped back into the building. "I'm back, you're the best Alfa." She smiled as she walked in. But suddenly, Alfa dashed passed her and towards the door. "Wait, Alfa? Where are you going?"

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go!" He shouted as he pushed his arm through the sleeve of his coat.

He ran, he ran for not his life, but his family's. He couldn't let this happen, no matter who thought he was a freak and what would happen. He couldn't let anyone hurt his pack or family. He couldn't let this happen; he had to run with al his wolf speed to the forest. He sprinted through town, little did he notice, straight passed Oscar who tried to stop him, but he wasn't fast enough. Alfa ran into him and nearly knocked him over. He still needed answers; he had to know the truth of this boy. So he ran after him, why was he running?

Alfa was terrified; his friends, family and his pack were in serious danger. It wasn't fair; they can't just go around shooting whoever and whatever they pleased. If only humans could understand wolves, then things would be straightened out and there wouldn't be an issue with hunters. He weaved and dodged around others, sprinting passed the care home and further down the road where it led towards a set of fields. He looked back as he ran across the farmer's fields; the care home was behind him, his window in sight. He was finally running towards where he had always dreamed of running.

He ran through a camp site just on the outside of the forest that was Jasper Park, he didn't recognise it, but he knew where he'd have to go. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for. But he quickly stopped right on the edges of the trees. He looked into them, into the world that the humans didn't control. One more step, just one and he'd turn back. That was the theory anyway; it's what the stories of the Guardians told. He looked down at his hands, taking deeps breaths. This was it; the time to go home had come. He clenched his fists, held his breaths and took a step forwards.

He was rapidly filled with a feeling he had never felted ever before in his life at the same time some mystical green smoke seemed to leak out of his body and consume him quickly. He hoped nobody was watching this, but he was certain nobody was around before he stepped into the wild borders. He fell onto his knees and seethed as his body racked with pins and needles, he expected it to hurt more like the last and first time he changed. It didn't, it was far more bearable. He felt his body grow lighter, he looked down at his hands and, in the blink of an eye, watch fur replace skin and his finger nails grow and morph into claws. He coughed as he felt his throat momentarily closed in and restrict his breathing, he cough, and cough and growled. The transformation only lasted around five seconds, and quickly the smoke blew away with the breeze. Now in the human's place, Alfa stood in his wolf body.

He looked it up and down, wagging his tail behind him while he felt his weight now being shared on all four of his paws again. He smiled to himself as he realised how much bigger he had gotten, how his fur had changed in a number of places. A rain drop fell onto his nose, a storm was on its way, he could smell and sense it in the air. He then quickly remembered what he was here for in the first place. He took one step forward, remembering again how to move like a wolf. He was slow the first few steps, but he quickly regained the instinct to run again and soon he did just that.

Oscar couldn't believe his eyes. He was watching from around the corner of the camp site's main building. Did he really just see that? Who was Alfa?!

Twenty six miles into the forest, in a den and taking shelter from the storm, Kate, Lily, Eve and Winston were taking refuge from the heavy rains and thunder occurring outside. It was nearly hailing and none of them wanted to get wet. It was supposed to be a family night in; Garth and Humphrey weren't invited, simple as really.

"Well this is fun." Lily giggled sarcastically as she looked out into the rain.

"Did you really want us to be here just to talk mom?" Kate added.

"When did we last ever get together, hmm?" Eve asked. "Before you two got married, that's when. We don't have time together like this anymore."

"But we had dinner together last night at mine and Garth's place." Lily giggled again.

"A place?" Kate questioned. "I don't call living in the tall grass a "place" Lily." Lily only giggled again and rolled her eyes. She looked outside as a peculiar sight caught her eyes.

"Hey dad, who's that?" She pointed out into the rain and towards the trees across the Valley. Winston and Eve gathered at the den entrance and looked at where she was pointing, stumbling out of the trees; a black wolf wobbled and could hardly stand. He looked up to them as he stood still, his eyes meeting with the gaze of the family's. Kate stepped beside her mother and father, her firm Alpha eyes narrowing to zoom in on the unknown wolf. But then they widened upon seeing the odd white parts to the wolf, the white paws and the outline to his ears.

"Wait…is that?"

"ALFA!" Eve screamed as she tried to get a good hold of the ground to run. She found traction and was the first to jump out and bee-line towards him. He, however, didn't have the strength. He took one last step forwards and collapsed into a muddy puddle. His vision started to blur in and out as he made out what looked like four wolves running towards him. Eve slid to a stop and lifted his head up to look into his fatigued eyes. "Oh Alfa." She wanted to cry, Finally, after two years, he was home.

"Mom." He mumbled, he could hardly talk. Kate, Lily and Winston bringing up the rear came running to her sides none of them able to understand how this could be possible, He just turns up after two years? It wasn't right.

"Mom, what's happened to him?" Kate asked worried he was sick. She quickly looked him over; there wasn't a scratch on him.

"He's fatigued; he's come a long way." Winston concluded.

"Th-the pa…" He couldn't speak, he just wanted to sleep. Never had he run so far and so fast.

"Rest honey." Eve said and brushing a paw down his cheek. "You're safe now, go to sleep." He had to warn them, he had to tell them. But he couldn't, he didn't have an ounce of strength in him to do it. So he nodded and closed his eyes, finding himself pretty much passing out as his world faded into darkness in the paws of his family.

**Dun dun dun! So Alfa's gone back to the pack, will they listen to him, will they leave the Valley which has been their home for centuries? Review and read on to find out. On another note, i was wondering if you guys could do me a favour? We have three people who are following this story and the same reviewing it, Northie and I were wondering if any of you wouldn't mind putting the word out about this story at all, because we thought we'd get more then three. We're not disappointed, all we want are more people to read it and tell us how we can made this story and any possible future ones better, so it was be greatly appreciated. Until next time guys. :D**

**The FalconWolf and Bastard from North**


	7. Chapter 6 Deja Vu

Guardians of Jasper.

Chapter 6: Déjà vu

The Den was empty; well…that's how it appeared when Alfa opened his eyes. He knew this place, it was home. Was he dreaming? No, he can't be, yesterday was too vivid to be a dream, it was real. He lifted his head, his muscles contracting around his body as he moved, his legs felt like they were on fire they ached so much. He ran and ran as fast as he could for as long as he could, he just about remembers his family running to meet him before he fell asleep. He must have run for hours, for dozens of miles. _"Oh crap, the care home will be freaking out."_ But that didn't matter. But how long had he been lying here? It was night and raining the last he remembered, was it the morning? The afternoon? The next day? Still, he didn't care right now. Scents of old flooded his nostrils, Déjà vu began to set in along with old memories of this place. It made his grin from ear to ear as they came to him, the smells of his mother and father, the little fainter scents of Lily and Kate. It was great to once again smell them; it marvelled him that in two years he could still remember what they smelt like.

He rolled onto his front as his vision cleared, he couldn't help what he did next. The spot he was on, on the floor, it was his, Kate and Lily's old sleeping spot. He wondered…He reached his paws out, and dragged them back towards him and buried his nose into the dirt he pulled towards him. The incredibly faint, but still there, scent of theirs and even his still lingered. He made him chuckle. God, he loved to be here again! It was then that he began to wonder, why was he here alone? "Mom?" He called out while facing the den. Nobody answered. "Dad?" He tried again while he stretched his fore paws out forward. Still nothing.

He composed himself and walked towards the mouth of the den, quickly finding he nearly trod on something. _"Alfa, stay in the den, we'll be home soon."_ Someone wrote it in the dirt floor. Who? It doesn't matter, should e listen to it? Nope… He wanted to see the pack again; he wanted to see his home, to see what had changed. If they wanted to be there when he wakes up then they missed him. He wanted to see what had changed. The sun shone brightly, not a cloud in the sky. He half expected Eve to be sat or lying out here absorbing the sun. But she wasn't. He stood on the rise just outside and looked over the Valley. The first thing that quickly caught his attention, the number of wolves. Either all the pack was gathered in the Valley, or they've all done some serious "repopulating". Either way, it puzzled him.

Then as he began to move amongst the pack, avoiding talking to anyone and gaining their attention, he came across another discovery. Since when did Alphas and Omegas talk to one another this much? Sure, Humphrey was an Omega and he was best friends with him, but it was pack law they don't remain that close. You'd go from friends to acquaintances, and there was nothing you could do about it. So why were they talking, laughing and joking around like there was no pack law? Did Winston and Eve know about this? What was going on here? All this made him pretty much forget the reason he was here for. So much had changed, but yet…very little had too. It gave him a headache to think how that was possible.

Pups ran around the same place he once did when he was but a few moons old, the pup dens with a few adults lingering around to keep an eye on them while their parents hunted or went around their daily business. The same and ordinary routine that doesn't seem to have changed in two years. It was then he pretty much walked head on into a tree in the shadows. He seethed and rubbed his head as he looked to see it, only then to grin ear to ear again. It was a tree alright, but not just any tree, a very familiar tree. It was that tree he'd always sit under to listen to his dad's stories. The one he'd hide under and let his black fur hide him. Then the tree became a little more sinister, the recollection that this was the place that he'd listen to Winston tell his stories of the Guardians, the wolves with the so called "incredible gifts", the saviours of wolf kind. What nonsense! He was one, he sees himself as a cursed wolf in his opinion. There was no gift in being a freak that could change into every wolf's worst nightmare. He thought they were great; he was there each time Winston told a story of them, his favourite being the last leader of their pack in the olden days. If only those days were now, maybe things would be different.

His eyes then wondered over to the spot Winston would usually lay to tell these stories, only…he wasn't there. Surly, if he was going to be anywhere then he'd be here, right? Where was he? However, there was something in his place. A young she-pup sat in that spot, her head hung low and her ears drooping. She was bored, that much was clear. He looked over to the adults in care of the pups around them, they weren't watching her. He didn't want to look like a pup-snatcher. So he approached her. "Hey kiddo." He said, smiling friendlily and making her look up to him. "Have you seen da…er, I mean, have you seen Winston around here?" She wouldn't know what he meant by "dad", she wouldn't even know him.

"The pack leader?" She questioned back. "I don't know, probably doing leader stuff." She whined.

"Why isn't he telling stories? He always tells great stories?"

"Stories? Winston never tells stories, in fact, he barely comes here." Alfa became stuck in thought. Why would Winston not tell stories anymore? "You're not from around here, are you?" Alfa shook his head.

"I've been gone for a long time, things must have changed. Thanks kid." He smiled and turned to leave, letting the young pup resume her bored look. But then he stopped and looked back to her when she sighed. Then to the other pups who continued to play various games of tag and play fights. So why was this one not playing with them? Maybe he could make her day a little more exciting. He took a shaky breath, readied himself to become the centre of attention and walked back to her. "Hey, listen…" She lifted her head again to meet his gaze. "Wanna hear a story?"

"About what?" She asked curiously, her ears perking up a little more and her tail swishing to the left a single time.

"Ever heard of the Guardians?" He asked again, she shook her head. "The story of the White Shadow?" She shook her head again. "Ok, time to give you guys an education. Go tell the others, this is a good one." He smiled while he laid down on his front. Like he did twice, she grinned ear to ear and with her tail wagging wit excitement, she darted behind her and ran towards the others.

"I'm going to see if Alfa is awake yet!" Lily said and making for the mouth of her den.

"Come on Lils, you've done that like…every other minute." Garth chuckled and walking after her. "Just stay here for longer then a minute, I'm sure someone will howl for you if he's awake."

"But he could be awake right now." She whined. "I haven't seen him in two years and last night he showed up out of the blue. I need to see him."

"I wasn't going to stop you. I was just sayin…

"Thanks baby." She smiled and kissing him. "I'll see you after your duties are done. I'll be at mom and dad's den." She then kissed his cheek as she moved away and then ran out the den. Garth waved her off before running the opposite direction for his first border patrol of the day.

She had to admit, Lily was over reacting just a tiny, little bit. She really had been running back and forth from their den to her mother and fathers every couple of minutes since Alfa came stumbling through the storm. He was soaked, exhausted, he'd clearly been through an ordeal to get here from wherever it was he went to. This morning, he appeared to just be in a deep sleep, so nobody wanted to wake him until he did by himself. She just hoped he'd be ok, because he really didn't last night. She had so many things to ask him. As she ran, she was surprised by the fact Kate came speeding passed her, both of them skidding to a stop. "Lily, are you heading to mom and dad's too?" She asked.

"Yeah, Alfa might be awake by now." She nodded. "Where's Humphrey, I'm sure he'd want to see him too."

"He had his own things to do apparently. Come on, we can cut through the pup dens, it's a shortcut." Lily caught up to her sisters' side and together they laid down a brisk walk, quickly beginning to cut through the pup den to find quite a thing.

The pups den was lively, the pups all piled on top of one another and seemingly someone else. They yipped, shouted and laughed as they bundled over one another. Lily's Omega playfulness kicked in and quickly she found her sidetracked and veered to the left to figure out what was happening. Kate had no choice but to follow, but finding the sight funny nonetheless.

"Hey guys, so what's going on here?" She giggled as Kate caught up to her.

"We're arguing who's going to be Tundra, the White Shadow!" One pup shouted amongst the pile of ten.

"Oh, so dad told you that story huh?"

"No, the new guy did." Another yipped as their head popped up from the pile. Kate and Lily shared a look.

"So who told you?" Kate wondered.

"I did!" A muffled voice answered at the same a black paw shot up from between a gap in the puppy pile. They knew that voice anywhere; no matter how much it had changed.

"Alfa!" Lily screamed while she grabbed his paw and began pulling him up. The pups slid off his sides as he sat up.

"Hey sis, what's up?" He asked with a grin. Lily lunged at him and pulled him into the tightest hug possible, and quickly Kate joined his other side and his used his other paw to hold her too. She had just saved him from death by pups. He laughed with them as he embraced them and never wanted to let them go, and they felt exactly the same about him. They had their brother back! Soon their hugs became a little too tight.

"Guys, I'd like to see mom and dad too please." He wheezed.

"Not yet, hug us some more." Kate insisted and carrying on with Lily.

"What were you doing out here?" Lily wondered. "You should be in the den."

"Oh you know…just picking fights with pups." He chuckled. Sooner or later, but really just later, they let him go, taking in his appearance again. My he's grow up, sure his had white parts in places they don't remember him having, but he was handsome nether the less.

"Come on; let's go find mom and dad. We'll check the den first." Kate said after a moment before they continued walking. Kate led the way while Lily and Alfa dropped back, mainly because she wanted to slow things down.

"I'm sorry Alfa." She muttered.

"For what?" He wondered. He looked into her lavender eyes, seeing the reason why. Well, to be honest it was clear why she'd be sorry. "If this is about the howl that night, forget it, it wasn't your fault."

"I made you go, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have forced you." She was ready to cry it seems, so he affectionately nuzzled her side as they walked behind Kate.

"Hey, you didn't know that would happen. Don't make it a burden of yours, what happened wasn't because of you."

"That's a point, what did happen?" Kate then asked after overhearing that part of their conversation. Suddenly, he found himself remembering why he was here. His faced turned serious; he needed to warn his mother and father.

"Let's find mom and dad first, I'll tell you all everything." He answered, his serious tone being noticed by his sisters and since then they didn't say anything.

"Let me go and find Humphrey, he'll want to see you."

"Ok, don't be too long." Alfa nodded and quickly she ran off in another direction.

"Do she and Humphrey still have a thing?" He asked to Lily. "It is still against pack law right?" Lily just giggled.

"Oh Alfa, you've missed so much."

The fifteen minutes it was back to the den, Alfa was shocked to here how the last two years had played out. The war that was supposed to start between the Eastern and Western packs had already begun and finished, the no Alphas and Omegas mating law had been abolished as a result of that, leading Humphrey and Kate to fall in love and Lily with the Eastern Leader's son. Not only tat, but since he disappeared, Winston lost his touch at telling stories. They just lagged the liveliness because he was no longer there to listen to them. Also how Eve had a boost of anger run through her. She lost one pup, so she wasn't going to lose another. He had missed so much; he was getting a new education of his own. All the way up to the mouth of the den when he was confronted with his mother and father in the back of the den talking about where he might have gone.

He gulped at the sight of them, this was it. He had to warn them of the humans, but then they'd ask where he's been all this time, why he never came home. All in all, it was end with him telling them everything, even about being a guardian. He stood in the mouth of the den; worried to say a word when suddenly Humphrey and Kate came running up behind him. "Alfa!" He shouted. This brought a smile to his muzzle and the two long time friends hugged it out. So what of they were guys, it wasn't awkward. Only him shouting his name only made Winston and Eve know he was here. "Where have you been all this time man?"

"I'll explain." He answered before turning back to his parents. He gulped again, why was he so scared of facing them?

"Hi mom, hey dad." Eve bottom lip started to quiver, and as the tears started to fall she quickly darted towards him and wrapped her forepaws around him as he did in return. Sure, he was now a little taller like him as all males tend to be, but that didn't stop anything

"Oh Alfa." She said softly and in deep relief.

"It's good to have you back son." Winston smiled as he came to the other side and he nuzzled his neck affectionately.

"It's good to be back dad." Alfa responded.

"Where have you been al this time?" Eve asked as she moved away. "Did the humans take you?" This was it, the moment he had dreaded since he woke up here. He looked around to each of them; all so eager to hear where he had been all this time, wanting to know why he never came back until now. Would they understand, would they listen? Or would they think of him as a freak? A disgrace? He was no good at talking anyway, so it was easiest to get straight to the point.

"Mom, dad, you've got to get the pack away from here." He said, quickly taking his parent back in surprise that they were his first words to them. "You've got to get them together and move them west of here, as far west as you can go."

"What do you mean son?" Winston wondered.

"It's dangerous here, I came back to warn you. Please understand." He pleaded.

"If you're talking about the other packs, the Eastern wolves are allies now and we're all a part of one pack. The north and south we don't get any problems from either." Kate added.

"Not any of the packs, the humans!" Quickly, this turned a lot more serious.

"Humans? Why would the humans be a threat? We haven't seen any for over a year when they took me and Humphrey."

"Because they want to expand their territory." He replied quickly.

"How do you know this?" Winston asked. "I'm not doubting you son, but we can't just move the entire pack because of a tiny threat."

"Does that really matter?" He nearly snapped at him. "If you think of me as your son, then you'll listen to me when I say you need to get away from here!"

"Yes, it is Alfa." Eve answered. "We need to know where you know this from." He growled and turned his back on them, walking to the back of the den in frustration that they weren't listening to him.

He wasn't going to be to convince them any other way, they wanted to know the reason, maybe that was what it took to convince them. He prodded his cheek, running his pads and claws over the scar under his right eye; it seems it stayed on this body. He began mentally kicking himself; once again, he just knew he was going to regret this. He turned back to them, meeting their eager eyes for an answer.

"You guys see the scar under my eye?" He questioned and pointing to it, like if it wasn't clear enough.

"That was another thing we wanted to ask you about." Eve nodded. He sighed again. _"Well, here goes."_

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but you've got to believe me. The day I disappeared, I ran up stream to the edge of the territory, the forbidden part because that's where the humans are. That's when I crossed into their borders. As soon as I did, it hurt so much. I didn't know why, it just did. When I woke up, I was deep in the human's territory in a human's den. I tried to escape, I tried to get away. But then I chose to stay because I didn't want you thinking I was a freak." He hung his head with a sigh; he was struggling to go through with this. Lily then stepped up beside him and nudged it back up.

"We're listening brother, keep going." He lightly nodded.

"I changed into a human." He said while looking deep into her eyes that widened. He then looked to his father. "I turned into a human dad." He wasn't sure how to take or understand this. "I know now why I loved your stories dad; I know why I was so drawn to them. I'm a guardian."

"Alfa, I think you…" Humphrey tried to say.

"No man…" Alfa interrupted. "I've spent the last two years in the heart of human territory, working with them, making friends with them and living as a human because I was a human. You don't get it." He then turned to his mother and father. "You don't know anything about my life before or who my real parents were. One of them must have been a guardian too, or maybe both of them. They might not have known it. You always told me, dad, that in the stories of when the Guardians died that some of the pups survived."

That was just a story son." Winston said softly. "If such a pack did exist, then they all died."

"Well what if they didn't?" He actually snapped at them, frustration really setting in. "What if those parts of the story were real, that some pups escaped before the humans killed them all. What if I'm a descendant of Tundra, the White Shadow, you told me his mate was pregnant when the humans attacked them. It all makes sense; I'm the one and only guardian on the planet!" He looked them all in the eye, wanting them so desperately to believe him. They didn't share that look though, only one of fear for his mental sake.

"Alfa…" Eve said quietly. "I love you like a son, but I think you must have hit your head or something."

"You don't believe me?" He gasped. "Your own son? And you don't believe me?! What if it was Kate or Lily, would you believe them?" Eve looked to her daughter, unable to answer. "But this doesn't matter." He then added. "None of this matters. All you need to know is that hunters are coming, and if you don't get out of here they are going to kill everyone. I heard it from their own lips, you need to get out of here and get as far away as you can before they come in two weeks."

"Alfa, I know things must have been hard for you." Humphrey said. "But we haven't heard anything from the humans in over a year, there is nothing to support that they'd want to attack us now."

"Great, so you don't believe me either? My own best friend?" He growled to himself as he got to his paws. He knew this wasn't worth it, he knew he should have just listened to his instincts and only told them what they should have known. Of course they weren't going to believe him. What was the point in this? He started walking passed them and towards the den entrance.

"Where are you going?" Winston asked, Eve ready to cry.

"If you're not going to do anything, I will. I'm going back to stop the hunters."

"You can't leave?!" Lily exclaimed. "You've just got back."

"I'll be back, don't worry. But I'm going to stop the hunters first." He then ran out of the den before anyone could add anything or stop him. He did glance back, only to see Kate readying to run but somebody must have told her to stop.

He needed to get back to the care home. Firstly, they'd be worrying about him like crazy; secondly, that's where the hunters were. He ran, jogged and walked the way back, through the day and into the night as it started to come around. It didn't strain himself; he needed plenty of time to think of an excuse to where he had been all this time anyway. He came up with nothing, so he'd just have to wing it and hope for the best.

It was dusk when travelled the length of Jasper back to Edmonton and by the campsite forest, First he checked the cost was clear, which it was before he jumped over the invisible line that caused the lights to form around him again. Before he knew it, the smoke cleared and he was on his hands and knees back in humans form. He picked himself up, brushed to dirt off his trousers and sighed as he stood up straight. It was a moment later his pocket vibrated, so he reached in a pulled out his cell phone to a shocking sight. Seven missed called from Kyle, twelve more from Todd, the head care worker and a few more from others and well as many texts. "Great, I'm in trouble."

"Totally." Someone answered and making him jump when suddenly Oscar jumped down from a tree and landed beside him. He stood back up, readjusted his black trench coat before looking at him with…a smile? Wait, since when did Oscar smile? "Todd's been going crazy you know. He's even called the police." He said with a smug face. "And here I find you, coming out of the forest for a whole day. Now were you in there?"

"I…er, I was…taking a hike when I got lost." He lied. "I slept in a cabin out there with a nice man who pointed me back here before I left."

"Really?" Oscar wondered.

"Yeah, really." Alfa replied shyly and beginning to walk around him to get home.

"You know…" Oscar then said, stopping Alfa again who looked back at him. "We're not that different you and I, We've got a lot on common."

"I doubt that." Alfa answered, only then to come face to face with quite a sight. Oscar had his left hand stretched towards him, a smile on his face, the rag that is usually wrapped around it removes, which he never does. But underneath that, a scar lay, and not just any scar, one that made Alfa's instincts tingle. It was something like the letter "Y"; only it had two horizontal lines running across the bottom of it. **( ¥ )** He subconsciously brought his hand to his own scar as he felt that begin to tingle.

"Did you really think you were the only one?"

**And here's another chapter, what's going on with Oscar?! Another Guardian? So the pack doesn't believe him, who could blame him? Maybe he'll think of another way to try again. Until Next Time. :D**

**The FalconWolf and Bastard from North**


	8. Chapter 7 It's About Time!

Chapter 7: It's About Time!

For once, Oscar had a smile on his face that wasn't forced on by someone asking him to smile for once. No, this one was a genuine, happy one. He was happy, he was in disbelief. He had found someone like him! He wasn't on his own anymore! They never talked much, mainly because both he and Alfa were so confused over what happened on the edge of those woods. Sure, they walked back to the care home together, but mostly in silence. But upon reaching the doors, Alfa was torn away to be interrogated as to his whereabouts light night and why he never came home. Kyle was there, Todd and one other care worker were there for his verbal torture. He could hardly focus. He was more concentrated on Oscar who said he would be sitting outside in the garden to wait for him. After over half an hour, he was freed from that small office and could finally go in search of the last person he thought he ever would.

He slid open to patio doors, finding Oscar sat on the steps that led down into the large garden built for a mansion. But then again, this house was so big it pretty much was. Much to his surprise, as Oscar turned to face him; he presented the tired young man with a mug and…another smile? "Hot chocolate?" He questioned. Alfa looked down at him; this was all too real for him. Someone else just like him. And out of all people, it was the boy who never made himself known and didn't normally like him.

"I didn't think dogs could drink stuff like this." Alfa joked as he took it out his hand and sat down on the step beside him. Looking over the garden, it was dark, the moon shining bright and nearly full.

"Did they give you a hard time?" Oscar asked. "It didn't sound like they did."

"Naa, they just stopped me from working and grounded me for two weeks." He answered after swallowing his first sip of the hot liquid. "But I bet you heard all of that." Oscar chuckled, this was great! Talking to someone about this and they could understand and relate.

"It was a bad excuse." He nearly choked on his on drink. "Just say it again, please, it was so funny." Alfa laughed himself and rolled his eyes.

"I left something here and needed it urgently; on the way back to the café some old lady needed my help to get an address from across town. I couldn't find it; I got lost and stayed in a motel for a night. Then today I started walking around after getting that address and giving to that lady until I met up with you." Once again, Oscar began laughing uncontrollably, this time chocking on his drink and having to spit it out before he could laugh. "It was all I could think of." Alfa retaliated.

"I'm just amazed that they bought it." He wiped a tear of laughter off his cheek and the liquids running down his cheek.

"They didn't at first, they gave me a choice to say the truth or not and I chose not to. Todd's exact words were "there's no point in arguing with me"." He chuckled himself.

"Now, what you should have told them was the truth. They totally would have bought you running wild in the body of a wolf."

Behind them, Kyle and Todd pushed apart the curtains a fraction, unable to believe the sight occurring on the other side of a thin piece of glass. Oscar, laughing and talking to Alfa, a sight nobody thought they'd see. They shared a bewildered look before closing the curtain again.

Outside, the boys were still laughing and trying to drink their drinks at the same time. It wasn't go well, they were spilling it and constantly having trouble through the laughter. But eventually, they began to settle, and Alfa needed to know some answers. It was time things got a little more serious. They both took a sip of their drinks, and afterwards, Alfa asked his first question.

"So when did you realise what you were?" Oscar quickly swallowed, he had been waiting for a day like this, able to talk to someone who could understand and relate to him. But really…just to talk to.

"When I was thirteen." He answered, going off into a partial daze as that memory came back. "I changed when I went on a school trip to Jasper Park. I walked away from my group when it happened so nobody saw me. Man it hurt." Alfa nodded, but he was puzzled. Thirteen? Surely not thirteen years, that's not possible, it had to be months. He also mentioned school, was he an Alpha then? Or a potential Alpha that, like himself, never got the chance to go before he changed? "What about you?" Alfa dreaded thinking back to this day. But hey, it was only fair.

"I was bullied a lot; I was chased by a group of wolves who hated me." This time, it was Oscar's turn to look puzzled.

"Wait…wolves?" He asked, wondering if he heard right. "What the hell were you doing with wolves before you changed?" This was growing confusing, what was Alfa talking about? What was Oscar talking about?

"Well…living with them." Alfa answered and pulling the same face he was feeling, confused as hell!

"In what? Some zoo or something? What, were your parent's zoo keepers?"

"No, they were wolves." Alfa didn't get it, neither did Oscar. Oscar thought he was joking, but his instincts told him something more.

"So…wait, you were born a wolf?" Alfa nodded.

"Yeah, born wolf, grew up a wolf and then changed into a human when I was eleven months old."

"So in dog years, you've been alive for…"

"About three years." Alfa finished for him. Oscar's jaw dropped, this wasn't how he thought it was. "Something tells me you're just as confused as me." He smiled at his face expression.

"Tell me about it." He nodded and trying to get his head around this. "So…well, it explains why you never told anyone about your past and why you didn't know anything about anything." He quickly added.

"I guess one of my parents were like us and never knew it."

"They must be worried about you." Oscar replied. "Is that who you went to see yesterday?" Alfa shrugged.

"Kinda, though they're not my parents, they're my adoptive parents."

"Dead beat mom and dad too huh?"

"I guess." He nodded and shrugged again. "I was found a newborn pup, only a day old on the borders of my pack's territory. Its leaders found me and raised along with their daughters. I call them mom and dad and my sisters, they're the only family I've ever had."

"I guess it's not easy raising a "special" wolf." Oscar rolled his eyes. "My mom and dad gave me up when I was eight. Said I was too out of control for them and I was only getting worse. And I actually believed for a while that it was because I was too special for them, as they told me anyway."

"So they didn't know they could change either?"

"I guess not." Oscar shook his head and had another gulp of his not quickly cooling drink. "Still, animal behaviour is not exactly being a normal human. So I don't blame them to be honest."

"I can't object, but to be honest it sounds like you were meant to be a wolf. It can't be easy growing up as a human with the instincts of a wolf."

"But from what you say, it sounds like you had a choice." Oscar then added quickly. "You had a loving family; you're the one that ran away. I didn't have a choice whereas you did. So why didn't you just go on back right away, why did you come here?"

"Because I didn't have much of a choice." Alfa answered. "I don't know about you, but I fell unconscious after I first changed, and when I woke up I was in the hospital. I couldn't go back after seeing what I turned into; they'd think I was a freak, a mad wolf or a monster."

"But you went back anyway." Oscar further added. "You said that's where you went yesterday." Alfa nodded.

"I did, I had to. Even though I didn't want to, I had to." He sighed. "I overheard two hunters having a conversation with some big time construction guy who wants to build on the park, but to do that he needed the pack gone first. I went back to try and get the pack to move away, heck, I even told them about me."

"But…" Oscar sensed it was coming.

"They didn't believe me, what else?"

"Guys like that, they can do whatever they want and nobody can stop them." Oscar answered honestly. "We're not even eighteen yet, we don't know how to drive and we can't drink. This guy has the power of the city behind him; we're nothing but average kids."

"Still, I thought if I could convince them I was a Guardian, then maybe I could…"

"Woah, woah, woah…" Oscar stopped him quickly. "A what?" This was growing to be rather amusing.

"A Guardian." He repeated. "It's what we are."

"Dude, get your information right." He laughed. "You seriously need an education."

"Ok, fine…" Alfa snapped. "You seem to know more about what we are, so teach me."

Instead of answering with his voice, Oscar took his friend back inside, up the stairs and into his room. This was crazy; Alfa was now permitted into Oscar's room?! Oscar shut the door behind them, then afterwards walked around and showed him his wall covered in those pictures of wolves. "We, my friend, are werewolves." Now it was Alfa's turn to be confused and amused at the same time.

"Werewolves? As in the human's myth?" Oscar nodded.

"But not a myth, very real." He chuckled and sitting back in his chair beside the desk.

"That must be the human's version of the story." Alfa concluded after a moment of thinking.

"What story?" Oscar asked. Alfa sat on the corner of the bed; Oscar didn't retaliate or show any signs he didn't mind.

"Thousands of years ago, a pack of wolves were given a gift to change into humans each time they stepped into places the human's controlled to drive the real humans out of their territory. These wolves, when they changed, were stronger, faster and more agile then any normal human, along with a wolf's faster healing and great senses. It was a fight between the two species that lasted a very long time. Over time, the humans began to lose the fight, so they turned to other places to force the wolves out. These wolves had no choice but to run because they were powerless against the humans. So they turned to this pack that was rumoured to be strong enough to stand against the humans. As a result, this was pack was soon known as the Guardians for their acts of bravery and protectiveness over their species."

"How do you know this?" Oscar asked.

"My dad told me. Well, my adoptive dad anyway. He knows so many stories about them."

"So what happened to them?" Oscar was growing rather interested in these "Guardians". It made a little sense to be honest. This was the wolf version of the werewolf myth; the human's side clearly had been a miss informed story.

"In their last days, the Guardians continued to fight away the humans, so they fought back once and for all and neither backed down." This story was so vivid, it was like he was actually there in the middle of all this and witnessing it all first hand. "The humans snuck into their territory and struck the, there, in a place where they couldn't change and they couldn't use their gift to save them. It was said that the entire pack was slaughtered that night." He then gestured to both of them. "Evidently not."

"This sounds crazy."

"In my world, we're legends, even heroes. But how can freaks like us, who have to hide who we are, be something like that?"

"In the human world, people like that these days end up in a crazy home." Oscar added glumly. "A few hundred years ago, they would have been killed. Hung, stabbed, or burnt to death. So be happy that these days things aren't like that."

"I am glad." Alfa sighed. "I honestly hate this whole thing. We can't show ourselves, we can't be ourselves, there's so much responsibility." Alfa complained as he fell back and laid on the bed.

"It's not so bad; we can make this a good thing."

"How?" Alfa asked, not really agreeing that this could turn out to be something good.

"We can spy on people from a distance and not get caught. We can read a frigging newspaper from a block away, we can run the one hundred metres in five seconds if we wanted and beat any marathon runner. We could be superheroes!"

"Now THAT…sounds crazy." Alfa chuckled deeply.

"Hey!" He threw a pen at Alfa's leg, getting a little irritated that he wasn't taking this seriously.

"Hey back!" Alfa exclaimed and rubbing his shin.

"I'm serious." Oscar continued. "We could do anything, we can save people, we can do thing nobody else could do. We could tackle thieves, smell out murderers, take down weapon's dealers. We could do anything!"

Alfa was going to back chat to him, anything to think up a way of saying that it was a stupid idea. But as his mouth opened, he froze at an idea. Weapon's…those hunters had weapons that could annihilate the pack in a heartbeat. Sure, he had the power to stop them, but with Oscar by his side…well, there was no telling what they could accomplish. He pushed himself up to his elbows, thinking over this light bulb moment he just had.

"What?" Oscar asked, sensing and seeing that Alfa was onto something.

"My pack's in trouble, I can't stop those hunters by myself."

"So…"

"Uh, so…you could help me." Oscar's eyes widened immediately as Alfa's lit up. This guy must be kidding, right? Why would he risk a life he rather enjoyed for a bunch of wolves? Who knew where this could end up. "We're probably the only two guardians who actually know we are." Alfa continued. "It's out job to see that wolves and our kind are safe. I'm not asking you to do this for me or my family, but for a species."

"Tell me why I should do this." Oscar said and leaning forward in his chair.

"Because we're the only people who can do this." Alfa answered and leaning forward on the bed, coming face to face with Oscar. "My father once told me, "You should always help someone, because you could be the only person who will". We're that someone, my own family won't listen to me so it's down to us to help them whether they want it or not." Oscar wasn't looking convinced. "Don't you get it? This is our purpose. The Guardians all those years ago were given a gift for their loyalty and generosity despite how badly they were treated. We carry that heritage in our blood, so we have our ancestor's responsibility. There has to be a reason we met, and I think that reason was to save my pack. And I'm not saying this because I can't lose them, I'm saying this because I think it's what we're meant to do. This can't be a coincidence that we find out all this about each other at the same my pack's in danger."

"You're talking about Fate now?"

"Yeah, exactly, this must be fate." Alfa soon realised.

"It doesn't change anything Alfa." Oscar chuckled and shaking his head while hanging his head.

"Do you have anything else to do?" Alfa quickly added. "You said yourself that we could help people. Well, we'd be helping wolves. Then after that, there is nothing to stop us from help both species. If you help my pack, then I bet they'll want you to stay."

"Why would I want to join your pack?"

"Is this human life really so exciting?" Alfa asked and pointing around him. "In my pack, everyone is family. We take care of each other and look out for one another. You'd have a family, a place to call home. You'd…you'd have me." Quickly, Alfa began to see those last words could have sounded a little strange. "We're the only two Guardians around, the chances of us meeting were slim to begin with, yet something brought us together. It's about time it happened!"

"Yeah, you're bullies and my parents." Oscar chuckled.

"In my world, every day was an adventure." Alfa added. "We'll be free to act how our instincts want us to. Hunting, running, having fun, more running, playing games…even more running."

"Well…I like to run."

"We'd have the entire forest to run!" Alfa exclaimed. "You want to help people, think of this as the first step." He added after a moment.

Oscar thought hard, maybe not for long, but hard indeed. This could work out; this could work well for both him and Alfa. It was a win, win situation. He helps Alfa with his problem, then Oscar would be one step closer to helping like he wanted. Along with Alfa, they could do anything. Together, they were stronger! He grinned.

"So what do we do first?"

**Hey guys, the lazy FalconWolf is back. I have been away this weekend and didn't get back until yesterday, so updating this was the last thing on my mind. So there you have it, Oscar is a Guardian, but a human born one. The Guardian's survived that final battle of their's it seems. What lies in store for them? Will they work together to save the pack? Only time will tell. Until next time. ;D**

**Bastard from North and The FalconWolf**


	9. Chapter 8 Last Try

Chapter 8: Last Try

Two wolves walked through the forests of Jasper Park, side by side, but not exactly close together. One of which walked groggily due to the early hours of the morning, misplacing his paw steps every so often and regretting ever agreeing to this. It was silent, but it was understandable. What prey item would want to make loud noises while two predators walked possible right outside their front door? After all, who wanted to end up as dinner? No-one, exactly! So while one walked wide awake, but nervously, the other was practically falling asleep as they walked! The sun let off a wonderful orange, one of the black and grey wolf's favourite colours, so it was a thing that helped him wake up a little more. He remembers the times he'd be up early enough to sit outside his den with his parents to watch it. It was a spectacular site.

"How far now?" The red and orange wolf whined, complaining about the mere one they had walked.

Come on Oscar, we've only been walking for over an hour. I told you it would take a while." The black and white wolf replied with an annoyed tone.

"Yeah, but I was born a human Alfa." Oscar snapped back. "Not as a wolf, my paws still hurt after walking long enough."

"But you're…"

"Supposed to be a wolf, I know. So you keep telling me." Oscar interjected and continued to complain. "But I didn't spend much time out here at all before I met you. I have a valid excuse."

"Sorry." Alfa chuckled. "Just making sure you remember what you are. If you're going to convince the pack then you're going to have to think like a wolf too."

"I had all that kicked out of me a long time ago, now you're saying I get back into it?"

This small argument was a minor thing; it was the result of a week's worth of planning. Yeah, that's right; it had been a week since Oscar first witnessed Alfa's change. It was a week of talking and planning, trying to understand one another more and better. Their backgrounds, pasts, their inner wolf. In fact, that was the one thing they didn't show one another until today, their wolves. It was an awkward moment that they'd rather show one another when they had to. So until then, all they could so was talk.

Alfa gave his new friend the low down on the hunter situation. Little was known about them. All Alfa new of the pack threat was that two hunters would be there within this week to clear the packs out of the valley to make way for a construction team. Supposedly, they're the best of the best, country shooting champions and every hunter's idols and role models. If somebody wanted a dirty job done then they were the guys to do it. For the right price that is. So for the time being, their first plan was to go in and try to convince the pack leaders to move the pack away.

He was pretty nervous. What would they say if he returns after disappearing again for a week to return with a strange wolf? It wasn't exactly an everyday occurrence after all. But if anyone could help him, it was Oscar, a second Guardian, more proof that they existed. The further they walked, the closer they got to the pack, Alfa grew more nervous and Oscar could sense it. Different kinds of questions were running through his head, theories of what might happen were hitting him immensely and the shame of bringing up what he told them last time was killing him. His family would think he had gone mad wolf from the things he was suggesting, and most packs don't accept mad wolves. He could be exiled by his own parents! Still, he had to try. Even if they did then he still had to do something to save them.

So they were up at the crack of dawn, waking up and moving out before the light was even in the distance. Getting to the nearest woodland at the campsite was easy; changing in front of one another was another thing, however. It was awkward, watching one another changing, deciding who was going to go first. So after a count of three, they both stepped over that invisible line and change, Alfa being concealed by his own green mist while Oscar was, surprisingly, consumed by a very different red mist. After the light display was over and the mist had cleared they then stood side by side as wolves, Alfa took in his new friend's appearance. A red-ish colour to begin with in top, going from his head to tail, and as the colour went under his underside, it went into a dirty grey, going down into the underside of his legs while red went down the outside. Oscar did the same, taking in Alfa's appearance and how amazing this was.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Oscar patted his shoulder. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts away before looking to him. "I can smell wolf, I guess this is it." He didn't realise how far they had come already, the scent of the pack wasn't far off.

"Stay close, a strange wolf in this territory would be chased out." Alfa warned.

"What about you? You've been gone for two years, so you tell me. Don't you think they're all going to forget about you or at least what you look like?"

"I doubt it didn't take them long to tell the pack I came back." Alfa responded. "That or the pack found out themselves. Knowing Lily and her mouth, she'd have told half the pack the night I passed out at their paws. They'd have had some warning or something by now."

"This is going to be weird you know." Oscar then added after a moment of silent walking. "For you that is anyway."

"Why'd that?" Alfa chuckled amusedly.

"Hmm, not let me see…" Oscar replied sarcastically. "I've never spoken to a wolf before, let alone walked into a pack. I didn't know we'd be able to understand them too you know."

"Neither did I." Alfa replied honestly. "We might not be able to understand them while in human form, but in wolf form we can, that much I know."

"How do you propose to convince you parents then? They're the ones we're going to see right?" Alfa nodded.

"Yeah, I really don't know. I'm defiantly not going to tell them I'm a guardian, that's for sure. I was hoping you'd help me out when I tell them that hunters will be here in just a few days. You could say something like you've seen them preparing or something."

"Sure, as long as you remember that we'll help humans too." Oscar warned.

"Of course, I keep my promises."

A few minutes later, after passing a few wolves that didn't seem to pay them much attention, Alfa pushed passed the bushes into the plains that were the Valley. Young wolves ran around with friends, elders wolves walked slowing with mates and children, pups galloped around playing games of tag and so on with others, like a pack within a pack. Oscar's jaw very nearly dropped at the sight of what Alfa never found that beautiful. Oscar's wolf like dreams shone through into his reality, this was everything he dreamed of seeing one day, a place he really could belong and be a wolf. Alfa laughed to himself after seeing Oscar's reaction, pushing the hedge completely away and stepping out with his jaw dropped friend not far behind him.

"Welcome to my home." Alfa said.

"It's incredible." Oscar gasped right as two she-pups came giggling passed, nearly running into him. It made him smile, this was like nothing he had ever seen. The two had very different experiences, clearly. Oscar was brought into this amazing world whereas Alfa was plunged by force into the loud, smelling human world. Still, it was all in the learning. Alfa looked ahead, seeing the Alpha den in sight with Eve lying above the rise, her tail swishing gently behind her. Beside her, something bright glistened with the sun's reflection; it didn't take a genius to know it had to be Lily's fur. He grinned playfully and speeded up to a brisk trot and sneaked around up the rise and behind them. Inside, he could hear his father's very familiar voice and one other, it didn't matter. He slunk low to the ground and creep in, soon discovering the reason he couldn't hear the she-wolves before was because they were whispering, strangely. With their heads on their fore paws and their backs turned to him, he could sneak up on them unsuspectingly.

"It'll be fun mom." Lily giggled silently. "Kate thinks she'll be up for it, just some girl time away for a little while, we could all use it."

"We can't just up and leave Lily." Eve giggled back. "Not now anyways, I'm getting far too old for surprise trips. But why are we whispering?"

"It's called a secret for a reason, duh?"

"Well I like to whisper too." Alfa snickered and slithering in in-between them. Not only did he make them jump, but he did receive…

"Alfa!" Lily screamed and rolling over on top of him. Eve beside him wrapped her paws around his head and lavished his face with kisses. He laughed with them, trying to push Lily away a little and his mother, but the kisses he received from both of them tickled. Oscar came walking up the slope, puzzled by the sight. Winston and Garth came pouncing out of the den mouth, their first thoughts towards the screams was that someone was hurt, but no, and soon Winston was chuckling deeply himself as he padded over to them. Garth however, his new thoughts were who was the male his mate was standing over and kissing?

"Mercy guys…!" He laughed hard. "I need to breath."

"Never." Eve retaliated as playfully as a pup would. "Not ever again, never in a million years." He held his head tighter and buried her face into his cheek. Lily quickly saw something else that needed to happen and bounded off him.

"I'm going to get Kate and Humphrey; he's missed you so much!" And without another word said by anyone, she scampered away with the speed of an Alpha, driven by eagerness. Garth was still left bewildered by this occurrence, but he was beginning to grow an idea of who this could be.

"It's good to have you back son." Winston rasped in his deep voice.

"It's good to be back dad." Alfa smiled and grazing his nose against his neck as Winston did in return.

Wolf greetings and affections were a strange thing to see for Oscar. Was he going to get anything like this? He sure hoped not.

It was then Eve felt another presence watching over them, and soon she discovered Oscar standing and waiting a little to the side. She was confused, she ad never seen this wolf before, she didn't recognise him, was he with Alfa? "Alfa, who's your friend?" She asked. He lifted his head, suddenly remembering he was standing there the whole time. He jumped up, rolling back onto his front and trotting over to him to whisper.

"Just remember, they're pack leaders, so treat them with respect if you want them to be nice."

"Do I really have to?" Oscar whined back silently. "I mean…I'm not a wolf!"

"You're half wolf for goodness sake." Alfa snapped and pushing him forwards, Oscar still being reluctant. "Half is pretty much the same as completely, so just do it if you want them to accept you." He nudged him again, this time he stood right in front of Winston and Eve along with Garth to the right and still in the mouth of the den, now trying to figure out who this was now was. "Mom, dad, this is my friend, Oscar." Still reluctantly, Oscar rolled his eyes and lowered his front half, digging the side of his face into the dirt to show submission, just as Alfa taught him. It was ridiculous; Alfa was just doing this to wind him up.

"It's good to meet you." He tempted a looked up, a thing Alfa told him never to do until the leader permits it. But he still did, and surprisingly, he wasn't scowled for it. Instead he was smiled at.

"Such a nice boy." Eve smiled playfully before gently tapping the top of his head. The sign he could now stand and be at ease. "It's very nice to meet you Oscar." Oscar nodded his head a little and walked backwards back to Alfa's side.

"Mom, dad, I need to talk to you about…" Quickly, Eve sensed to seriousness change in their son's voice, Winston didn't want this to go the same way it ended last time. Not the moment they meet again anyway. He raised his paw.

"Not now son." Winston intervened. "Let's just get through the day first shall we?" He saw the point, so Alfa just smiled and nodded.

"Alfa, let me introduce you to Garth." Eve said and walking towards him. "Garth, we've told you about Alfa."

"Yes, indeed you have. It's good to finally meet you in the flesh." He held out his forepaw for a shake.

"Err…yeah; it's good to meet you too." Alfa hadn't realised he was there, his rather shy nature coming out again as he was faced with an unknown wolf. Still, it was polite to do so, so he copied his actions and shook his paw.

"This is Lily's mate." Eve then added, quickly taking him back al of a sudden. He knew all about the wedding rules and how things played, and he was terrified to know that Lily was now married! The innocent little sister he had growing up, now a married she-wolf. He had missed so much. She didn't tell him this when she found in wondering in the Valley. Why ever not?!

"Lily's…mate?" He gulped, his paw tensing and squeezing Garth's a little at the thought.

"Yeah, he is." Lily replied and walking passed him, kissing his cheek as she stood next to him. He was frozen, what a horrid thought! His younger sisters, married and mated before he was. This was just not right!

"You can…ha, you can let go now." Garth laughed nervously. Alfa shook his head and realised the paw, blood now quickly regaining circulation around Garth's paw.

"Who's acting stupid now?" Oscar whispered teasingly.

"You!" Humphrey grinned playfully. "You take off without saying goodbye to your best friend?"

"Sorry man." Alfa chuckled and crossing necks with him, a kind of "wolf hug". He then used the same action with Kate, but this time getting a kiss on the cheek from her.

"So where have you been this time bro?" She asked. "You disappear again for a week and come back without any warning."

"Not having fun without me are you?"

"A little perhaps." Alfa shrugged.

"Well come on, tell us all about it." Lily insisted. "The world adventures of Alfa!"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to Kate and Humphrey in private for a little while." Quickly all heads tilted in confusion. "I'll explain later."

"It's cool with us." Kate said after a moment of staring and pointlessly looking around. "We can go back to our den."

"I don't have time for that, but somewhere on the way will do."

"You're leaving again?" Winston questioned.

"Maybe, I'll explain everything. Just be nice to Oscar."

"What, hey! You're leaving me here?" He seethed as he walked passed him.

"Just don't say anything until I get back." Alfa practically pleaded. "Just play nicely, ok?"

"I hate you so much." Oscar whispered while Alfa walked away behind Kate and Humphrey while grinning back at him. The last thing Alfa saw was Oscar's face of irritation and serious anger which he knew he'd get a never ending face-full later on.

They walked a little way away from the Valley plains and areas most wolves liked to go during the day, a place Kate and Humphrey knew would not be interrupted. But why thought? What was the need for this? Why was a private conversation needed right now when he only just got back?

"Ok, so this is the place." Humphrey said while turning with his mate to face Alfa again. "Wanna tell us why we need…"

"You guys need to understand this..." Alfa interjected with a complete serious face. "Because I think you guys are just about the only ones who would believe me."

"Oh god, not this again." Kate exclaimed and rolling her eyes, sitting back as well. "Alfa we're not going to talk…"

"Please." He pleaded. "I just need someone to believe me for a moment, just for a moment and listen to what I've got to say." This was not fair, not on them at least. Alfa had been through an ordeal while he was missing, that much was certain. He saw things and must have hit his head to make him this way. Still, as his best friend and sister, they were obliged to have a little faith.

"We'll listen." Humphrey replied. "We won't believe you, but we'll listen, just for you."

"That's all I need." Alfa nodded thankfully and sitting opposite them. "Hunters are coming, mom and dad won't listen to me but they will to you. I need you guys to convince them to move the pack away, just for a little while before the hunters get here."

"What hunters?" Humphrey questioned. "Hunters haven't been around here for moons, we haven't seen one in so long."

"Exactly, because one human has got two of the country's best hunters to come and kill you all." Alfa replied, rapidly feeling he was once again losing this battle again. "It doesn't matter what happened or where I went to hear this. But all you need to know is that a very important human has got trained killers to come for the pack and they won't stop until all of you are dead or have run away." As harsh and blunt as his words were, they didn't understand many things of his apparent knowledge. They didn't want to see Alfa this way, they wanted to see him as the pup they all knew growing up, not a crazed lunatic!

"Alfa, please don't say things like this." Kate now began to plead. "Just see it from our point of view. You disappear for two year, show up exhausted and then rant about hunters coming back when they haven't been around. And to make it worse, you say that you're…"

"A Guardian?" He questioned. She wanted to cry, this was killing her on the inside. Her brother, maybe not a blood one, but a brother figure none the less, talking this way and insisting he's something only told in stories to pups too keep their imaginations alive. Kate grew out of those a long time ago, as did Humphrey, and he hardly heard those stories. So why couldn't Alfa just do the same and stop giving everyone this heartache? "I maybe shy Kate." He continued. "I might not be able to talk to girls or anyone for that fact. I may have been gone for a long time and I may have see things I never want to see again, but I know what's happened to me and I can't change that." He looked them in the eye with complete seriousness. "If you don't believe me, come to the human territory with me."

"Don't." Kate soon snapped back. "Don't got there Alfa, you know it's forbidden."

"Really? From what Lily already told me you tow had quite the adventure over there."

"We didn't have a choice." Kate snapped again, getting to her feet and wanting to leave all this behind. "We were taken."

"So? Come with me and I can prove it to you."

"This isn't getting us anywhere." Humphrey intervened, seeing this was heading into a bad place. He walked right up to Alfa and said in a much calmer tone "Look man, it's hard to believe you."

"I'm not asking you to believe me, just to listen."

"And we're listening. It's just…Eve and Winston will know where this came from. Sure, I'll tell them this, but they'll know this came from you."

"Just do the best you can, for me."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Kate said and beginning to walk back home. "I want to enjoy this day before you leave again."

"Who says I'm leaving?" Alfa questioned, yet it was inevitable anyway.

"It's what you did last time." She answered. "But enough if this, let's go find the others and enjoy this day."

"So Oscar, how did you come to know Alfa?" Finally, the question was asked, the one he hoped they wouldn't. He was sat in the leader's den, all four of the wolves that were here, were still, and that only made it more awkward for him. He was never the shy type, but now he suddenly felt himself being just that. He didn't mind the questions they asked early, the "What's your name?" and "Where are you from?" kind of things, but now it was really getting to a place he didn't think of. Alfa told him he didn't want him saying anything about the guardians in front of them without him there, he may have to break that if he didn't think of anything soon.

He looked at each of them, still waiting for an answer. He fumbled over things to say in his mind. This was a terrifying moment. This was till new to him. He was in a den with four wolves for crying out loud! He didn't think wolves could talk when he woke up this morning, now he was hearing their voices and their lips were moving. There was still so much he had to learn about this who Guardian thing. He would have thought, even as a Guardian, he would have been ripped to shreds. "I…err; I met Alfa around two years ago."

"Huh, funny, that's around the time he ran away." Eve replied.

"Yeah, more or less." Oscar laughed nervously and rubbing the back of his neck.

"But HOW did you meet him?" Lily repeated the question. Damn it, he was hoping they'd just accept that as an answer.

"My…The place I live, there's a lot of us there, he was brought in after being found alone and hurt."

"Another pack?" Winston questioned. "How far is it?"

"Around fifty miles north of here. And we're not a pack; we're just a group, a few adults and mostly young people. Wolves! I mean…ah… you understand anyway." He chuckled nervously again and trying not to make eye contact with any of them, so instead his eyes darted around the room, trying to set on something to avoid those eyes.

"Ok…" Garth said, prolonging the single word after a moment of them all sharing crazed looks and confused faces.

"But we haven't really been friends long, only about a week. But I've know him since he started living with us." This boy, he was certainly a strange one.

Meanwhile, Kate, Humphrey and Alfa were walking towards the den. It was in sight, and Kate refused anymore nonsense talking while they walked back, so now they were laughing about old time. Mostly about the frequent times Humphrey nearly turned Alfa into road kill when trying out his, at the time, log board sports. But that laughter was quickly brought to a stop as more laughter joined in with them, just over a different subject. Alfa froze and his eyes widened like they did many times in a day over two years ago, never had they done it quite like this since. His heart beat faster, his breathing quickened and Kate and Humphreys stopped to look back at him, thinking something was wrong.

"Alfa? Brother are you ok?" Kate asked.

"I forgot about them." He muttered and pointing out a group of four wolves walking passed them a little way away laughing amongst themselves. It was only Lewis, James, David and of course, their leader Richard. They were bad before, but now they were all grown up. It was Alfa's worst nightmare multiplied by a thousand, his bullies grown up. And the worst part about it all. They had spotted him.

**"Convincing other's like that won't be easy it seems. Well, more so since the whole thing is about an old story. :) Still Richard is around but is he the same? You'll see... ;)"**

**Bastard from North**


	10. Chapter 9: Facing Demons

Chapter 9: Facing Demons

He couldn't believe it, after all these years, he had forgotten all about them. He shouldn't have, because now his personal demons have spotted him. Alfa tried to hide behind Kate and Humphrey, his movements being controlled by his instincts. He maybe a grown wolf, but so were these, and three of the four of these wolves had been to Alpha school now, they were stronger, faster and trained in combat. They were bad during their pup-hood, were they the same now? Have they grown out of their bad behaviour and began acting like adult wolves? He doubted it in that very second. Because as Alfa found his body automatically deciding to hide behind the nearest thing, the nearest thing being Kate and Humphrey, Richard grinned evilly at him, pointed him out and led his gang towards them.

"So it is true, you actually came back." Richard said. Funny, his voice seemed friendlier then Alfa remembered, his body posture was much more approachable then scary, James, Lewis and David behind him looking exactly the same. He walked softly right up to Kate and Humphrey, their looks angered but Alfa's glazed over with fear while his tail tucked under his belly the closer they came. But suddenly, they stopped and Richard extended his paw. "It's good to have you back in the pack." He smiled and keeping his paw out towards Alfa. His eyes darted from the paw to his face. Had he really changed that much? He didn't think anyone could change this much. He gulped as he shuffled in-between Kate and Humphrey and reached out his own paw, being very hesitant to do this. "Come on, I don't bite anymore." He added. He must have changed, since when was Richard nice to anyone but his brother and friends? Alfa was his own personal target back in the day; he'd never have done this before. But this was also why he was so worried, they were never like this. His paw was nearly there, when suddenly Richard unsheathed his claws and swiped, catching the bottom of Alfa's paw pad. It wasn't particularly the claws that hurt, more so the force of the slap, so he wasn't left with any wounds. "But I do scratch." He added while his gang snickered behind him. Alfa darted back behind Kate and Humphrey, fear once again reigning over his body.

"So if it isn't the curtail himself?" James snickered at how a grown up wolf could revert to being such a fearful pup.

"It sure is, look at him, little Alfa hasn't changed a bit." Lewis added.

"Oh grow up, all of you." Kate snapped. "You're supposed to be Alpha's of the pack, not adolescent bullies!"

"Oh, so what are you going to do? Call your mom to the rescue again." David asked.

"Ok guys, how about we all grow up and start this like civil wolves?" Humphrey suggested calmly and being his Omega self by trying to stop this before it escalated.

"You, be quiet you Omega." Richard ordered.

"Got a thing against Omega's Rich?" Kate asked. "If you forgot your brother's one too." She laughed.

"How on earth do your parents put up with you?" Richard snarled. "You're supposed to be a strong Alpha if your parents are the leaders. Yet you marry an Omega and they adopt that pathetic excuse for a wolf." He pointed back to Alfa who quivered in fear. "You're all such worthless excuses for wolves!"

"Please…j-just stop." Alfa pleaded.

"Shut your mouth mutt!" He snarled threateningly. "Who gave you the right to speak to me?" He just stood in silence after that, he didn't want a fight to break out just because of him. Why was it always him in the middle of all of this?

"What now? Little puppy Alfa can't talk anymore?" Lewis cooed as if talking to a pup.

"You think he's a pup?" Kate questioned. "You're the ones attacking the vulnerable wolves of the pack with your little gang. You can't go anywhere without your friends, so how's that fair?"

"You're parents would be far more proud if I was their son." Richard growled.

"But you're not!" Kate snapped and taking a step forward right up to his face. "I'm the daughter to the pack leaders and next in line the rule the pack. As soon as that day comes you and your friends can kiss your sorry ass goodbye. If not then you can watch as I make your lives a misery with my mate watching and adding to it. I'll put you down to Omega rank and laugh as the rest of the Alpha's make fun of you."

"I'll never submit to an Omega." He replied and shooting a glare at Humphrey. "But I might have to challenge you for that title, little girl."

"Nobody's fighting!" Humphrey exclaimed and pulling Kate away before standing in front of her protectively and to keep the two apart. "But if you want to harm my mate you're going to have to go through me." Instantly, he was mocked and laughed at.

"Yeah, how about you send in the real wolves to take you're place?" David laughed loudly.

"My own brother would kick your sorry ass any day." Richard added. "Now this is what's going to happen." He continued. "You two are going to get out of my way while I give that dog a beating to remind him of his place in the pack." He tried going right to go around Kate and Humphrey, but that's when Humphrey himself took a step to his left and blocked him. So he then went to go left, but only to stop when Kate did the same and blocked him off.

"Stop this now Richard, before it gets too late to stop this." Kate warned. "I'm not afraid to hurt you."

"Now what kind of example would that set on you as the next in line to rule the pack?" He question back to her. "That you rule on fear? That if anyone gets in the way you'll hurt them to put them back in line?" He had her there. "If you don't move it'll be you're turn after this, so I suggest you…" Suddenly, out of nowhere a red and orange flash hit Richard with such force it knocked him to the side, and after some rolling he was flat on his front with a great weight on his back. What was going on? He didn't understand. Who would dare go against him?

"Hey! Get off me!" He ordered as he began to struggle. It was then the wolf standing over him flipped him over and placed one paw on his chest and the other on his throat. This wolf was right in his face, so close he was practically being dribbled on as his teeth shone in his face and the wolf's grey eyes locked with his yellow ones.

"You better take a hike low life." Oscar growled and presenting all his white teeth.

Richard had to admit, this guy was brave to come at him like this. Clearly he was new here and didn't know him; otherwise he wouldn't dare do this. But still, he was able to tackle him; it made him actually consider that this was one heck of a guy. So much in fact, he actually had a little fear of him.

"Do you not know who I am?" He threatened. His friends stood back and watched. It was a rule of the gang that if one of them should get in a fight, the others don't interfere. This was to show if they were really worthy of being in the gang.

"A low life, are you deaf?" Oscar seethed.

"What if I don't?" Oscar then bent his head down to his ear

"Then my paw might accidentally slip across your throat." He seethed and unsheathing his own claws. This unknown guy, to him anyway, was crazy. But that sparked something inside Richard that made him like him. He'd be great to have in the gang. But he'd think about that later, his throat being sliced open was more important right now. Reluctantly, he nodded and Oscar stepped off.

"Let's go guys." He said as he rolled onto his front and walked away. "I'll see you soon you miserable cur!" He added and shouting back to Alfa before turning ahead and walking quickly away, most likely to find their next victim.

Oscar watched them, making sure that they weren't going to turn back when his own back was turned against them. He wanted them to know he was watching them. After they were far enough away, he turned back to Alfa who stood like solid stone. His breaths came out in short pants; he didn't move a millimetre throughout the ordeal.

"Dude, you ok?" Oscar asked and stepped towards him.

Alfa just couldn't believe his misfortunes, after two years of living an "ok" life, he returns to one the he loved so dearly, but to meet his demons again. Why couldn't they just leave him be? Why couldn't they just grow up and be responsible Alpha's? Help wolves, help the pack, be loyal to the leaders and respect the elders? They were the ones that made him who he was, a Guardian. It was them that forced him onto human territory, into that quarry. It was them that made him realise he was a freak. "Earth to Alfa?" He shook his head, snapping out of his trance to see Oscar now in his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied and feeling the pain come back to his paw. He had another look, a couple of small pin prick holes, but very little blood. Something similar to a thorn in you paw, so not that bad. It was bearable. "Thanks."

"If they bother you again, just don't be afraid to lure them back home. That'll keep them away if they knew." Oscar whispered and winked as he stepped back.

"He's being stupid." Humphrey added. "He hurt Richard's pride so bad before he left."

"You were pretty zoned out weren't you?" Kate giggled.

"I guess, thanks again." He thanked Oscar again.

"No worries." He replied with a smile before he turned more serious. "But your mom wanted to see you."

"You didn't tell them did you?" Alfa seethed through gritted teeth with wide eyes as they began walking.

"No, but I had to get out of there quickly, I nearly lost it the amount of times I kept talking like a human. I'm pretty sure they think I'm weird."

The short walk back to the den was more or less silent, mainly because nobody had much to say. But they had their own mental conversations and thoughts running around their heads. Humphrey wanted to know how to defend his mate better should Richard come after Kate again. He seemed desperate to challenge Kate when she became Alpha leader, so he wanted to be able to protect her. Kate was being a classic mate, day dreaming about how Humphrey was her hero for standing before Richard even though he knew that he wasn't going to win a fight against him. Oscar didn't think much at all, other then how to make up for his weird actions and use of words earlier. Alfa, he just wanted to be brave. He took Richard's words to heart, he wanted to be brave, he wanted confidence, he wanted to be able to make his parents proud by being a strong, worthy son, not a pup that shakes in fear each time he comes across an old enemy. Heck, he just wanted to be able to talk to someone without looking like an idiot!

Since they were already rather close to the den, it didn't take them very long to reach it. Still, after walking up that rise just outside it they found it was very quiet, it was full of whispering. This time, not of the likes of Lily and Eve having more girl talk. They were all muttering about how odd Oscar seemed to be, he was just as nervous as Alfa by the way he avoided subjects they asked him like where he was born and his past.

"Hey guys, we're back!" Kate called out and bringing their whispering to a quick stop before Oscar could hear any of it.

"Oh…hey, you're here." Eve smiled as she, Lily, Winston and Garth all shuffled back to make room for them all. "Done with your talk?"

"More or less." Kate replied with a slightly annoyed tone. "It was nothing, no need to bring it up again." She didn't want to. She hasn't seen her brother in two years, and when he turns up he begins ranting about how he's something pups dream of being. A bedtime story.

They made their circle to talk better and see one another, Oscar and Alfa sitting beside one another again so Oscar could be sure they he was acting how he was supposed to. He knew Alfa would nudge him or something if he was talking too human.

"So Alfa, Oscar was telling us about that small group you live in." Winston said after they all settled.

The two young males looked at one another, Alfa giving Oscar a look of confusion. "Small group?" He questioned.

"Our home." Oscar replied. "Come on, you know what I mean."

"Oh…right, the group." Alfa then responded after seeing what Oscar was on about. "Yeah, we're all kind of a group of young wolves, dad. Many of us are orphans, runaways, wolves that nobody wants. They found me after I ran away, passed out on the outskirts of the humans territory. We're kind of a crazy group" He scratched the back of his head nervously as he thought of things on the spot. He tried to make it sound believable.

"Sorry, what group?" Kate asked. "We weren't here to hear this."

"From what we gather, Oscar is from a small group of wolves that found Alfa after he went missing." Lily answered. "Apparently it's far from here which is way Alfa was so exhausted when he came here last week." Alfa was relieved; Oscar told them things that convinced them.

"So you've know each other a while then yes?" Eve wondered.

"Yeah, but we didn't talk much." Alfa replied after confirming with Oscar.

"We didn't start going out with one another until about a week ago." Oscar then added. Why was it as soon as he said that, that each one of Alfa's family gave them both confused and shocked looks.

"Why didn't you mention this "group" before?" Humphrey asked.

"I didn't think I had to." Alfa chuckled.

"You showed him how to log sled though right?" He then hoped.

"Of course not!" Alfa exclaimed in amusement. "Please don't tell me you're still doing that? You nearly made me road kill last time."

"It was an accident." Humphrey whined. "I've got the hang of it now."

"You should teach Oscar." Kate added. "I'm sure that'll give you something more in common."

"Yeah, and maybe we can meet the rest of your friends." Lily added.

"You really won't want to meet them dude." Alfa chuckled. "Go one day at a time if I were you." He wanted them to forget about the subject.

"So in this group, did you ever meet anyone "interesting"?" Kate giggled teasingly.

"Me? Are you kidding? Since when do I ever talk to anyone I like?" He replied nervously?"

"Why not?" Garth asked. "You may not want to hear this, but when I met Lily, my life got a whole lot better." He smiled and nuzzled her neck.

"He's rather shy around girls." Lily giggled.

"C-come on." He pleaded. "Let's just talk about something else. I hate talking about my love life, especially with you."

"Fine, what about you Oscar?" Kate then asked, quickly taking him by surprise.

"Me? I don't even know you and you're asking me that?"

"They will." Alfa chuckled. "They do that. Just don't give into it"

"Well…no, I don't." Oscar replied. "Not yet anyway." He nudged Alfa's side playfully and laughed.

"Come on guys, not here." Lily pleaded and covering her eyes.

"What?" Alfa asked, half jokingly and half serious.

"You two sound like you're…" She stopped and looked around to her family, all of them had the same looks of slight disgust and but happiness on them. It was a strange combination.

"What?" Alfa asked. "What's with the faces?"

"Thinking what I'm thinking?" Kate asked and looking up to her mate beside her. He nodded, so did the others who agreed.

"Are you sure though?" Lily asked, even she seemed to know just by facial

expressions. Or they were talking about it while they were out.

"What are they talking about?" Oscar whispered to Alfa.

"I don't know." He replied hotly.

They all whispered between one another to the wolf beside them, every now and then giving the two a "we know" kind of face. Did they finally come to believe he was a Guardian? Maybe even Oscar was one too? It had to be that, there was nothing else.

"Look, I tried telling you guys before." Alfa sighed. "But you didn't listen to me"

"It's ok honey, we understand." Eve replied softly.

"We still love you Alfa." Lily agreed.

"It's just, it's so hard to hide, you know?" He added. "It's just great to get it off my chest."

"It's ok bro." Humphrey added. "Just don't try it on me." Quickly, Alfa began to think he got the wrong end of the stick. He looked him in the eye, confusion setting in his own.

"Wait, we're thinking about the same thing right?" He asked and wanting to be sure.

"We understand that not everyone agrees with your kinds of couples." Winston added. "But you or your small group don't need to hide like that."

"Wait, what?" Oscar was growing just as confused. Neither of them had a clue what they were talking about.

"Dude, it's ok to be gay." Humphrey replied. Quickly, both Alfa and Oscar's eyes widened beyond belief. "It's not the end of the world. I know a gay wolf too, so you're not alone." Alfa nearly hit his head on the roof after hearing it.

"You think we're gay?" He exclaimed.

"But you said you've been going out for a week now." Garth said with narrowed eyes, trying to figure this out.

"No, no, no, no, you got it all wrong." Oscar replied and getting to his paws. "We mean we've been hanging out for a week, not going out, as in going out on dates and stuff."

"I'm straight, I like girls." Alfa made it perfectly clear.

"Me too, that's just weird and gross!" Oscar agreed.

An awkward silence fell upon them all, since nobody dared add anything after that. It was a case off looking around the den and at one another, wondering if anyone would say anything next. Everyone wanted the silence to go, but at the same time nobody dared say anything. Alfa and Oscar were so embarrassed, mainly because this silence was caused by their use of wording. But soon, everyone suddenly burst out laughing like crazy, including Alfa and Oscar who both had tears in their eyes. Oh how he missed moments where he could laugh with his family.

"I was so sure you were gay." Kate laughed in hysterics. "You were always so shy…around girls and then you show up…with a random guy while saying those things." She had trouble speaking through the laughter. She was beginning to get a stitch in her side.

"I was going invite you to come check out the guys around the pack too." Lily giggled.

"Hey!" Garth chuckled, seeing she was just kidding.

"Well, I'm glad to expect grandchildren from you soon Alfa." Eve wiped a tear from her eye.

Although he felt awkward about it, he was finding it funny now. First they're thinking he was gay, adding more, with Oscar, then how he was still expecting to provide his mother with grand-pups. He hated being the centre of attention, but he guessed that's what he was going to get after running away for two years. So what now? Now that he's back are Kate and Lily going to start auditions to find him a nice girl? They'd better not.

He glanced to his left towards the den entrance; the sun was beginning to set already, much to his surprise and disappointment. He was going to have to bring up the conversation he was to bury deep down and lock away. His smiled faded as he knew he was running out of time, he came here for one purpose, to try and convince them to move the pack one last time. Why did this have to be his problem? Why not someone who actually wanted to be a Guardian. Ahh…wait, he did at the time. He deeply sighed, the noise catching his father's attention.

"Alfa, what's wrong?" He rasped in his elderly voice after noticing it first. Eyes were once again set on him.

"It's just…It's getting late. We need to get home soon."

"But you are home." Eve retaliated.

"I can't stay." He shook his head. "Dad, we need to have another family talk." He added and turning to him. Quickly, everyone in the den, other then Garth, knew what was coming and braced themselves. Kate even growled to herself, annoyed after Alfa promised not to bring it up again today. The mood of the den dropped from happy to sad and irritated in a matter of seconds.

"Alfa, please, just forget it already." Lily desperately pleaded.

"I know nobody wanted me to bring this up, believe me, I don't either, but you've got to listen to me." He wanted them to listen, he needed them to listen. "I'm only going to say this once; you need to move the pack to the west. Human's are coming and they will kill everyone if you don't get everyone out of here."

"Wait, humans?" Garth asked, he wasn't here the day they first spoke of this, so he needed to catch up.

"I've been living in human territory since I ran away. The group Oscar and I are from, it doesn't exist, not fully anyway."

"Oh Alfa, please…" Eve wanted to cry, she hated to hear her son being like this.

"It's called a care home; it's where humans leave their children if they can't look after them good enough. Oscar lives there and now I do too. Since I became a Guardian that's where we've been living."

"You must believe him sir." Oscar added and looking to Winston. "I'm one too."

"You always told me dad that the Guardian's always had different marks. Well I've got mine here..." He pointed to his under his eyes. "And Oscar's got his own." Oscar then raised his right hand and showed him his pad with his own mark. "I brought him with me in hope that you'd see that we do exist and the pack is in danger. This is the only proof we can give you unless you come with us to the human territory."

He wasn't convincing them any further, he could tell. "I lived my life thinking I was a freak, the only one of my kind." Oscar then added. "But when I saw Alfa changing in front of my very eyes, we promised one another we'd help each other."

"You're brother has gone mad wolf!" Garth exclaimed. "I haven't heard about the Guardians since I was a pup."

"No, he just hit his head!" Kate snapped at him. "It made him hallucinate and think these things."

"Woah, sorry, I was just saying…"

"Well you thought wrong; he's not a mad wolf!"

"Both of you calm down!" Eve ordered. Kate shot her once mate-to-be a final glare before setting her eyes back on Alfa and Oscar.

"Please, I know this sounds crazy…" Alfa continued. "But I can't change what I became; trust me, if I could reverse it I would." Oscar was surprised to hear him say it. "Please, I'll ask you one last time, not as your son but as a member of this pack, please, just move the pack away for a week and you'll see what I mean. Just for a week, that's all I ask."

"You should listen to him." Oscar added. "He knows what he's talking about."

"Boys, we can't just order the pack to move away." Winston replied with a sigh at first. "We just settled things with the Eastern Pack and moving out of this territory might change things."

"It wasn't a part of the deal my dad agreed with." Garth added. Both Oscar and Alfa shared a look. There was no longer any point in arguing with them, they weren't getting anywhere. The more they argued here the longer the hunters had a chance to gather and ready themselves.

"So, I guess we'll just do this on our own then." Alfa sighed before getting up, walking towards his mother and nuzzled her neck as she returned it without saying a work. He repeated the action with his sisters as they did back. "I'll be back to check up on you soon, just don't go east, keep the pack away from the north and east." Nobody said a word, they didn't try to stop him, they watched him leave in silence. "Let's go Oscar." He said as he walked passed him and out the den to start the trip home.

He needed to save this pack and keep them away from the north and east territory borders. The hunters would be preparing themselves now, they needed to find them. Neither of them knew anything about them, they needed to know who they were, how they liked to hunt, their methods, who their employer was, all the facts! Maybe going back to the café was a good start. Alfa's employer in the cafe seemed to know that one man particularly well, their employer wearing the suit, so there was a high chance that they'd be back there to do "business" sooner or later. They'd wait, listen and act as soon as they could. Why did this have to happen to him? Why not someone else who actually wanted this "gift"? Life was never easy for him. He wished it would just cut him some slack sometimes.

**"Just to let you all know, we do not have anything against any one because of their sexuality. I just wanted to let you know before you kill us."**

_**Bastard From North**_

**"Well...Awkward...But then again, I know the feeling. The amount of times I've had my own mother confront me thinking I was gay! I'm ****not by the way and I have nothing against them. I have two gay cousins after all! So, Richard and his gang are still around, the pack won't move, looks like Alfa and Oscar are left with one last chance, to stop the hunters themselves!"**

_**The FalconWolf**_


	11. Chapter 10: Executing the Plan

Chapter 11: Executing the Plan

Moving the pack was no longer a part of the plan, it was a losing battle in many ways. Alfa, each time he return ranting about how he was a Guardian, only began to worry his family more and lose their trust in him. Also, as he discovered, his demons still resided there, so the pack was the last place he wanted to be right now. As a result of this and many more issues, a new plan was needed. It took a while, but in the end it came together, deal with the hunters before they struck the pack in under a week's time!

The new plan came together after a few days of thinking and hanging around, the boys never coming to a conclusion. Alfa had his part to play, as did Oscar. It was Alfa's job to continue working in the café and hope they came back for another "meeting" there. Clearly, his boss new the man they were hired by, and according to her, he was a regular customer. So Alfa's task was to patiently wait for him to return, hopefully bringing the hunters with him and then follow them back to wherever it was they were staying or living, letting Oscar know as soon as he does. Oscar in the meantime, his responsibility was to search the web, find any background information on these guys or their employer. When he was bored of that, then to search the borders of the forests for any hunting cabins where they could be staying. He managed to find something about the suited man.

He was a big time holiday architect. Apparently, the guy wants to build some wilderness holiday village in the middle of the forest. But according to news reports and newspaper articles, his permission was denied due to the wolf population of the forest. Four massive packs were held in the forest, and his permission was always going to be denied if they were there. But being the big time person that he is, and this was common sense to figure out, he couldn't go to some extermination company to get rid of them. The bad press he'd get, the scandals, the reports, the crimes! So therefore, he went out in search of rumours and found two of the best game hunters in the state. Everything was confidential, if anyone knew that he was planning this mass extermination, then he'd be jailed for a long time. All he needed was proof that the wolf populations had either moved away to a safe distance or had reduced in numbers to make it safe to build nearby. Until then, he could do nothing.

Two days after their last plan failed, it finally came around. The hunters and the suited man walked in and instantly Alfa took action. He alerted Oscar with a text, who ran to the café and sat in the corner, acting like an ordinary customer, waiting patiently like a wolf stalking its prey. It was a little over an hour that the three left and parted ways once more, only this time, Oscar followed them and continued to even after they drove away in their car. His heightened senses proved very useful, the faint scents of stale blood and gun shells was what he followed for six miles to the outskirts. Even if it wasn't for the smell, you could certainly hear it no matter how far it went. It was a rugged jeep type vehicle. Clearly, not very well maintained. It was dirty, it barely ran, it had multiple problems, why was it even on the road?! As it says, he tracked them for miles out of the town and to the northern outskirts of Jasper Park to a small cabin, a part of the forest he never searched. This was all he needed. So now that they had discovered their location, a plan of action was needed, and it was to be the most fun of all.

They sat up a little straight and peeked over the hedge both Alfa and Oscar was knelt down behind, the cabin of the hunters before them, their jeep there as well and the hunters coming back and forth from the building to it carrying small boxes to loads inside. What was inside them, they'd rather not know; guns, ammo, animal parts?! They had been here, knelt down and concealed for a nearly half an hour now. After discovering their location yesterday, they thought up of some perfect sabotage. But they needed them to leave first. They loaded one fail crate together, taking a moment to get their breath back while sharing a few last minute words before stepping into the jeep, starting it after a few attempts with a push of thick, black puff of smoke and a screech of the tires. They ducked as they drove passed, careful not to be seen. After they were sure they weren't, they peeked back over, watching them drive down the thin, man made drive and towards the town. They weren't in human territory yet, so they had to be extra careful they weren't spotted in this canine form. On their backs, they each had a bag full of things to use. It was the perfect fit to fit this body, even after they changed. It was perfect for them. "Ready for this?" Alfa asked. This was the point of no return. There was no turning back after this.

"I didn't come all this way to not." Oscar grinned excitedly. "Hell yes I am!" So with that, they stepped out, quickly stepping onto human property and therefore a human body was automatically replaced them. The cabin was just a bad as the truck. The windows were covered in a think layer of grease and algae, little light would shine through them and inside. Panels of the walls were cracked; parts of the roof looked unsafe and broken. Oscar found a partly open window, so he called out for Alfa while he struggled to open it, finally doing so with a little help. The pungent smells inside, it was tough to stand it. Not only that, but they failed to notice something very important which they'd regret later on.

"Come on, let's just make this quick so we can get out of here before they come back." Alfa leapt in first, quickly followed by Oscar who vaulted through to the appalling appearance of the place. It was the same on the inside as it was on the outside. Dirty, dark and gloomy, beer cans littered the place, overfull ash trays on a short wooden coffee table. The smells, the sights, how could someone live like this happily? Maybe it was a tem home for them? Maybe they have a few places like this and they stay in different ones depending on where they hunt? The roof leaked, metal pots caught the water that trickled through when it rained, the walls looked rotten. Alfa looked to his right; this long one wall seemed devoted to one specific thing. Heads of caribou, stuffed birds of prey, buck antlers, basically…their poor unfortunates. Spaces were left in some areas, tags in those saying. _"Alpha wolf" "Omega wolf"_ and things like that. Clearly, these places were reserved for their next victims. The victims Alfa was going to be sure they weren't going to get.

"Why do humans do this?" He asked, keeping his eyes on each one.

"It's a way some show their skill in shooting." Oscar answered as he stepped to his side. "Hunters gain respect for doing this from others. It gross really." He continued and nudging Alfa's shoulder. "Come on, let's mess this place up a little."

"How more then it already is?" Beside Oscar, a table with a lamp sat. He simply flicked it and knocked it off, smashing it as it hit the floor.

"Just like that." He grinned devilishly. This wasn't quite the plan, and at first Alfa was a little reluctant to go through with it. But the more he watched Oscar start flipping over the couch and throwing plates and ashtrays around, the more he began to see that this could help. Well, he also didn't have much of a choice, not when Oscar put a chipped plant pot in his hands. So he threw it with a smile, finding this was growing fun.

They removed the heads and stuffed animals from the wall and through them back out the window, trashing the place all the more before they began to next part. They found a good enough piece of wall beside the window and removed their bags. Packed inside them, they each had a few cans of spray paint. If you can add it all together…one now perfect wall plus kids with spray pain equals fun! They painted their own little message Alfa's one standing out the most with big, red, bold writing. **"MURDERERS!**" That was all he wanted to write, it was clear enough. Well…it should be anyway. He left Oscar to carry on the paint work while Alfa resumed work on ruining the other rooms, going further back into the cabin to find the kitchen. But in here, there was a different smell, a smell he found rather enticing. He followed it to the fridge, and upon opening it he discovered it was stocked full of raw meat. This, compared to everything else, wasn't so bad.

"Huh, caribou meat." Alfa said amusedly and pulling out a chunk. "These guys have good tastes." It was fresh, so it had to have been put in here in the last day or two.

"Hey Alfa! Come on man, we need to hurry!" Oscar called back out. He dropped everything and returned back to the first room, continuing on his work with the wall.

"Is it wrong to be enjoying this?" Alfa wondered as they painted away.

"Dude, while you human, ignore everything you learnt as a wolf. This is a different life so you can be a different you."

"But I still feel the same." Alfa took this moment to stop and Oscar soon did also. "I was taught to always be good, to never break the rules. That was pack life."

"You're not in a pack anymore." Oscar persisted. "In this body, you can live exactly how you want. With me around, I'll teach you the good things of being human." He grinned. Alfa smiled in return, he had a point. Maybe there was a good thing about this curse after all. "Damn, I've run out." Oscar growled and throwing the spray can behind him. "I knew I should've brought more."

"We've done enough." Alfa added and taking a quick look around. "We've been here long enough, let's go." Oscar agreed, they had to be idiots to not see what their message was.

They walked back to the door, Oscar stepping out first and Alfa just behind. It wouldn't have matter what order they stepped out in, it equalled the same thing. Suddenly, Oscar was grabbed from around the door and slammed against the wall as soon as he stepped outside. It hurt, the impact of his face against the wood. Alfa stepped up to help, but he too was also grabbed and slammed against the other side of the door and held there, the person behind both of them quickly grabbing their wrists and holding them behind them.

"You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law." A man growled as he handcuffed Oscar and a woman behind Alfa did the same to him. They were cuffed and restrained before they could react. Even with their wolf and human strength mixed together, they weren't strong enough to get out of this one.

"Oh god damn it!" Oscar growled in anger. How did they find them? They were, more or less, in the middle of nowhere, so how did they know? A look up showed something they'd never have thought of. This place maybe pretty bad looking, but the burglar alarm just above the door wasn't. It was a silent alarm, so it didn't make a noise, but it would alert the police of a break in. He growled to himself in annoyance, right before the both of them were quickly yanked and pulled away towards a police car just outside. They were walked to it, far enough away so the boys wouldn't have heard them approach unless they strained their hearing. They were pushed back to lean against the car, the forest was right in front of them., freedom was right there. But they couldn't, not with these beady eyes watching.

"Now what were you boys doing in there?" The man asked.

"Boys just being boys." The red haired female answered for them. Alfa found he was scared, what was going to happen to him? Oscar however, this wasn't the first time for him, he was just annoyed he'd been caught spray painting again.

"I wasn't asking you." He snapped towards her. Fiery temper it seems.

"Do you have boys at home Bob? I don't think so." She replied, calmly but with authority. Both Oscar and Alfa couldn't help but snicker quietly at the amusing situation. "How about you assess the property and I'll contain these two." She then suggested. He wasn't happy, that mush was obvious. So he didn't say a word while he turned around and stormed inside, soon mumbling to himself. "Now boys…" She then continued. "Why on earth would do you this? You realise the deep trouble you're in right?"

"Well…" Alfa started, but soon he found himself wondering. How does he respond? In this time of all moments, he had to think about it now?! In this body, he was a young adult, a seventeen year old teenager. Whereas in his wolf form, he's an adult, capable of already having a family by now even! So how does he answer?

"Hello? You still in there?" Oscar wasn't answering, and neither was Alfa it seems.

"So what happens now?" Oscar then asked. "You contact our families? Lock us up for a night?" He didn't sound so bothered.

"Well, we're going to have to contact your parents, then you'll need to pay for any damage done to the property. Maybe even do some community service if the judge see fit."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Oscar chuckled. She however found it a little less amusing, why was he laughing?

"If you find them, tell them I said "Hi" too." Alfa added, laughing as well.

"What? Think I can't find them?" She asked competitively.

"Well, if you're so sure then you must be a pretty good cop." Oscar then said.

"Claire!" The man then bellowed as he appeared in the doorway. She turned her back on them, giving the boys a moment to do anything to get away. But what? What could they do? "You should see what those boys have done to the place!" Alfa looked down to his feet; a small rock was right beside his foot. Maybe he could…

"Well…file a report and take an inventory of everything. Then we can get out of here." While they shouted back and forth to one another, Alfa leaned over to Oscar.

"Get ready to run into the trees." He whispered. Oscar didn't understand, but he nodded nonetheless. "And get your hands in front of you before you get there." He looked back down and positioned his foot beside the rock. _"This had better work."_ He flicked his foot, kicking and flicking up the rock and into a bush nearby. The woman heard it and faced the direction it came from. "Run Hank!" Alfa suddenly shouted. "Just run and don't stop!" The woman reacted as trained, placing a hand over her pistol and starting her chase in pursue of the imaginary "Hank". It was their opportunity, nobody was watching them.

"Police! Don't run!" She shouted as she jumped into the hedges where she heard the bushes rustle.

"Go, now!" Alfa then added and ushering Oscar in another direction from her. They stopped; they jumped on the spot and swung their arms underneath them to bring their hands in front of them, making changing safer and less painful now.

They ran again, they jumped and changed as they passed that invisible border into. It was a plan Alfa was unsure of. He knew their clothes changed with them, disappearing and reappearing each time they changed. So would the handcuffs do the same? Nope, they didn't. As they landed, they stood still and shook off the cuff. They could now just slide of their thinner wrists and onto the ground. But they couldn't stop, not while the officers still lingered around. They had all the reasons to run like hell. To not go the prison, to not find out if anyone saw them change, to not be shot while in wolf form being the biggest!

"How did you figure that out?!" Oscar laughed as they continued to sprint further and further away.

"Well I didn't see you coming up with anything!" Alfa grinned back. "God that was such a rush!"

"Well our problems aren't over yet." Oscar replied while they slowed down to a brisk walk after they were sure they were far away enough. "Where the heck are we?"

"Wait, you don't know?" Alfa asked. He was hoping Oscar knew.

"I was hoping you would know." Oscar shook his head. "You're the born wolf here; I thought you'd know these forests like the back of your hand. Well…paw." He corrected after seeing that he wouldn't have had hands back then. A shallow stream came across their path, so they had no choice but to wade through it.

"Wait a second…" Alfa stopped them both as they were half way through the stream. "I know this stream." He continued. "I ran up this one just before I first turned. We need to walk the same way if we want to head back to town."

"And you're sure?" Oscar questioned as the stepped to the side of it and began walking along it. "There's got to be hundreds of streams and rivers going through here."

"Even if it's not. All streams join together at some point, this one will still lead us in the right direction."

"What is this? Some wolf survival skills?" He chuckled.

"My dad taught me the basics a long time ago if I ever got lost." Alfa nodded.

Walking along the stream bank, all they could do was talk about their close shave and future plans for the hunters. Looking up at the sky, it was going to be dusk soon enough, it was already turning red and orange. They needed to find a way out of the forest quickly and make it home before Kyle and Todd became worried. Alfa was already under their watching gaze with his lately strange behaviour. They were growing hungry and tired the longer they walked, so maybe it was a sign when a flash of brown darted right passed them in the form of a rabbit after an hour of walking. It made them jump obviously. But even before Oscar could exclaimed in freight, a flash of grey collided into Alfa from behind and knock him to the side along with it back into the stream. Alfa struggled to breath, that collision knocked the wind right out of him. Well, that plus the wind of the grey mass lying over him also prevented him breathing properly. Oscar couldn't help but laugh from the bank. "Aww man, I was so close!" She was grey with a white underside, a near female look-a-like to Humphrey. Alfa guessed she hadn't realised the situation they were in, because she was still lying over him. "Oh, sorry." She then did finally realise and stepping off him. Alfa could finally look up to her, and in an instant his shy nature over came him as he found himself staring at the beautiful she-wolf before him. He couldn't answer, he couldn't speak, everything had gone numb to the point his muzzle lowered back down under the water. _"Oh man, not again!"_ He screamed mentally. Why did this have to happen all the time? He was a nervous wreck around girls! It became even worse when she began to shake dry, her curves, her slenderness. He was shy, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. She stopped before he realised, his muzzle still under the water as she looked back down to him. "It can't be easy to breath under water." She said. He was confused, what was she talking about. It as then he understood as he was on the verge of passing out. He quickly brought his muzzle up and coughed up the water and quickly breathed as he stood up. It made her laugh. "I lost my dinner because of you."

"How's it our fault, you ran into us!" Oscar retaliated but with a smile. She looked back to Alfa, finding him looking down at his paws in the water rather then at her.

"Is something wrong with your friend or is he always like that?" She asked back to Oscar.

"I don't know, most likely." He chuckled again. "So what are you doing anyway other then chasing rabbits?"

"That's it, now I could ask you the same thing." She replied.

"We're kinda lost." He answered. "We're trying to get back to a town north of the park."

"Really? Edmonton by any chance?" She wondered. Alfa's ears perked up to that. Two things didn't sound right in that instant. One, how would she know what a town is? No wolf knows what a town is unless they lived in or right next to the human territories to hear humans. Secondly, she took it a step further by saying the town's name. No wolf would know that. So how would she?

"Yeah, it is actually." Oscar nodded. Clearly he didn't spot them.

"Well firstly, you'll want to head in that direction." She pointed behind her and right of the stream. "Secondly, you won't get there until gone midnight, and this part of the park is usually where hunters come at night. So why don't you stay us for the night and I'll take you to town myself in the morning." Alfa wanted to say "no", Todd and Kyle was already on his back about last time. If only there was a way they could change right now and call them to tell them a lie. They needed to be home, but it may be better if they stayed, no matter how awkward things may get.

"Us?" Alfa wondered, braving it enough to speak up.

"It's my brother and me, Micky." She replied. "Besides, one of you owes us dinner for getting in the way." She giggled while turning to walk in the direction of her den. Oscar was about to walk after her and Alfa stopped him.

"We can't go with her, we hardly know her!" He seethed.

"Dude, I'm hungry and tired. We'll stay with them and go at first light."

"What if she kills us?!"

"Stop with the excuses. Any guy would be thrilled to sleep next a girl." Oscar chuckled and starting to walk. "Hey! Do you bite? My pal here is scared of you." Oscar shouted to her.

"It depends!" She laughed back. "We'll have to see if my brother caught anything!"

"Jerk." Alfa growled towards him.

They walked for another half an hour, following the she-wolf further and further away from the stream. Alfa only grew more and more anxious being around her, being more embarrassed each time he saw Oscar talking to her and he wasn't. The den was in sight. It was under a tree, a hole in the earth that went down before opening into a den. After stepping inside, they found no food lying around. It seems Micky was unsuccessful too. He lay to the side of the den, already asleep on his side. She apologised for it, saying they'll find something easy to catch in the morning. Everyone could wait. She lay down beside him, her back against his chest. This was how they always slept, for body heat and comfort. "Make yourselves at home guys."

"Thanks for this, we really appreciate it." Oscar smiled.

"By the way, I never got your names." She then said before lying her head down.

"Oh, well I'm Oscar, and the quiet one in the corner over there is Alfa." Alfa didn't add anything, he dared not speak. "And come to think of it, you never told us yours." Oscar added as he lay down.

"Well, you already know Mickey here." He snored away, also draping an arm over her side while in his sleep at that moment. "And I'm Misty."

"Misty? What kind of name is that?" He chuckled while laying his head on his paws.

"It's a nickname."

**I think someone reading this story is going to be a little shocked now. ;)**

**The FalconWolf and Bastard From North**


End file.
